Survival of the Cowardly
by Lynet Bearwalker
Summary: How a group of Blood Elves deal with the fall of Quel'thalas and an anthology of short stories about their lives after the fall. Part comedy. (Rated T for language and a wee bit of bromance).
1. Chapter 1: The Gingers and the Priest

_This takes place around Quel'Thalas (the nation of the High/Blood Elves) and its capital city of Silvermoon City, almost fifteen years after the second war (Warcraft 2) around the time of the Razing of Silvermoon (undead campaign of Warcraft 3) ._

_The High Elves of Quel'thalas had remained mostly isolated after the second war, until suddenly found themselves under attack from a massive horde of undead. Futilely, the elves tried to defend their homeland, but ultimately they could not. Survivors scattered throughout the land, commoners hiding and running, and those surviving military members fighting on or fleeing. Many of their people were wiped out, but some did survive. _

_While the author wanted to avoid use of prominent lore characters such as Kael'thas, Lor'themar, Hauldron, however, lore says they are there during the time this takes place, so it is sensible to acknowledge it with mentions and small cameos, though none of them pay much attention to the cast._

_It should be noticed that the author is of the belief that those that survived were those who were smart enough to take cover and not fight (cowards) or those sharp enough to fall back and seek safety upon realizing their defense was futile (smart)._

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Gingers and the Priest**

It was late afternoon, the sunlight was warm and the shadows were starting to become long. War tore through the tranquil forests of Quel'thalas. The High Elves futily fought the invading forces of the Scourge, which continued forward on its rampage towards the Elves' sacred Sunwell.

Two female High Elves fled the battle outside the walls of Silvermoon City. One, in plate armor, gripped and pulled the other, in leather, by the left arm. They ran through the broken-down gates, deep into the city, and ducked behind some crates.

The plate wearer removed her helm, her shoulder length copper colored hair falling into view. It was parted slightly to the left and fell over her right eye slightly as it settled. She was in the elf equivalent of a human in her mid-thirties, a warrior and veteran of the second war. Her armor was simple and functional, made of gray metal. It was markedly unornate, nothing someone of any prestige would wear into battle. She carried a kite shield and a sword.

The other High Elf, a rogue, was injured. She wore brown leather, no headgear, and daggers sheathed at her side, looking to be the equivalent age of a human in her mid-twenties. Her ginger hair was a little longer and tied back in a bun. With her right hand covering her eye, she whimpered one word, "Shit."

The plate-wearer pulled an off-white bandage roll from a pouch on her belt and began to unroll it, she addressed the rogue, "Let me see it sis."

The leather wearer uncovered her eye, a huge diagonal gash from her nose deep across her eye, cheekbone and ending at her jawline. Blood ran down her face from the wound and was smeared where she was covering her face.

The warrior tried to hide her grimace, "You'll live but we need to find you a good healer. Though I think we both know you'll have to deal with permanent depth perception problems."

The leather wearer nodded and pulled a rope with a metal hook on it from her pouch. "Then let's get off the ground so you can dress my wound and we can get back to crushing undead." She tugged on the hook, expanding the contraption to be a full blown grappling hook.

"Youlie, it will take a long time before you get over the depth per-" The warrior started to explain but her sister interjected.

"Fuck depth perception, Leiah! Just fuck it!" The rogue hissed at her sister. Youlie then turned and threw the hook up to the roof and gave it a good tug. She grasped the rope and prepared to climb.

Just then a tall male high elf with shoulder length white hair ran past in a noisy panic, he wore white robes typical of a priest, not an entry-level trainee but not a full-fledged priest either, he clung to his mace and prayer book for dear life but lost his balance, falling uncomfortably close to the ladyelves' hiding place.

"Damn it." The rogue leapt into action, grabbed the priestling and yanked him into their hiding place. One hand over his mouth, the other holding a knife to his throat, blood still running down her face, she growled, "Don't make a sound if you want to live."

The priest's ears drooped and he began to tremble, sitting otherwise completely still.

Youlie unhanded the priest and shot him a good glare, "Climb."

The priest stared at Youlie's face, horrified, so much blood.

Youlie lunged towards the priest then growled again, "Don't stare, fucking climb."

The priest visibly jumped and made an audible gasp at the lunge. He quickly attempted to climb the rope but it became apparent at an equally quick speed that he lacked the upper-body strength to do so.

Leiah and Youlie exchanged annoyed glances. They knew what had to be done.

Leiah shoved the bandages back in her pouch, put on her helm, grabbed the rope and climbed instead.

"Useless" the rogue growled. She pointed to the ground, "Sit."

The priest sat, still trembling and staring at the bleeding rogue's face. Here he is, in the middle of what appeared to be the zombie apocalypse, and he's being bossed around by a pair of angry gingers. His mind wandered to his family, wondering if they made it out alive.

The rogue strung the rope under his arms and around his chest then secured it. She then climbed up after Leiah. She then gestured a countdown, the duo hoisted the priest up to the top of the building and sat him down on the rooftop.

The rogue unhooked the hook and coiled the rope up some, but leaving part of it tethered around the priest, she sat in front of him. She growled, "Are you going to sit there like a useless piece of garbage and stare at my face or are you going to do something about it?"

The priest quickly shuffled through his prayer book, nervous. "I can try."

Leiah crossed her arms, standing above them, almost towering. "It doesn't have to be pretty, just stop the bleeding."

The priest nodded rapidly and set his hands on Youlie's face. His hands glowed faintly with golden-white light as he attempted to heal Youlie's wound.

Youlie sat patiently, glaring at the priest.

The warrior stared down at the priest, "My name is Leiah Pyranor, this is my sister Youlie. Your name is?"

"Tyan." The priest whispered. He focused on healing the wound, the light seeping into the wound and slowly pushing the severed skin back together. It wasn't a clean heal and would likely leave scar tissue, "Tyan Sunbrand."

"Well Tyan. We're going to make sure you get out of this city alive, provided you follow our instructions." Leiah told him, taking the half unrolled bandage from before from her pouch and dropping it on his lap. "Hurry up before they realize we're up here."

Tyan gave the warrior a worried look, "Her eye, I can't-"

Youlie grabbed the bandage from his lap and held it up in front of his face, "We know, wrap me up. Hurry up."

Tyan wrapped the bandage around Youlie's head, covering half of her face along with her eye.

Once finished, Youlie stood up and gave the rope, still attached to Tyan, a good tug, "Get up, let's go."

The trio walked along the rooftops, mostly in silence. Tyan let out the occasional sigh of self-pity. His mind wandered to considering his situation. He wasn't sure if he was better off with the sisters or being zombie-chow. One meant the unknown, one meant certain death. With these two the unknown could be more frightening.


	2. Chapter 2: Home

Chapter 2: Home

Slowly the trio made their way across the city by rooftop, careful to not make any noise that would attract the wandering dead below. Their destination was area far from the scar of wreckage left by the undead rampage. When they arrived at their destination they stood above a large balcony. Both Youlie and Leiah hopped down onto it.

Tyan stood on the roof, staring down, the balcony seemed miles away and the priest visibly tensed. He fumbled in his pockets as he searched them for something.

Youlie gave Tyan's rope, still around his torso, a tug, "Oh come on. Stop being a coward."

Tyan flailed as he was pulled down, a feather clenched in one hand. He winced upon impact but opened one eye when the landing didn't hurt nearly as much as he expected. Tyan got himself up, brushed himself off, and looked at his now damaged feather with a sigh. The jump down couldn't have been more than five feet, the roof started at a level equal to Tyan's chest.

Leiah rested her face in her palm, "Idiot."

The rogue lock picked the balcony door with ease and the three went inside.

On the other side of the doors was a master bedroom with boldly colored drapery and matching rugs, a large bed and two sets of doors, one leading to the rest of the house and the other leading to places unknown.

Youlie closed the door behind them, dropped the priest's rope on the ground, and closed the room's curtains, "Stay. We're going to make sure the place is clear."

Tyan let out a sigh then sat down. He was no longer terrified of the ladies. He still huddled in a corner while the sisters went room to room, searching for undead waiting to ambush them.

The duo arrived in the front room, which was a jewelry shop, and paused to observe.

There were shelves on the walls and an L shaped counter which ran parallel with the door on the long side. Parallel with the short side of the counter was a wooden work desk with a vanity mirror up against the wall. There was no jewelry to be seen, as if the place had been robbed.

The front doors were closed and held in the locked shut position by a horizontal wooden beam, standard practice when closing up for the night. The place couldn't have been robbed, the goods had just been put away.

"It looks like we're clear." Leiah said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the counter.

Youlie did not relax; she searched the room suspiciously as she gripped the hilts of her daggers. Her eyes rested on the door and she narrowed her eye, "Look at the door."

Leiah slowly turned her head to stare at the door, "It is locked."

Youlie continued to look around the room rechecking it, "You can only lock it like that from the inside. We aren't alone."

Without words, the duo rechecked every room, more thoroughly, looking in every little nook and cranny, every hiding place. Nothing.

Leiah walked back downstairs, grabbed the workbench chair, which was nowhere near where it should be, and put it in front of the bench. She stared at herself in the mirror, "Maybe they took the balcony like we did?"

Youlie sat with her legs folded under her on the counter, "Maybe."

Leiah leaned back, her right foot impacting the wooden back of the work desk. It made a peculiar noise, not the type one would expect from an object pressed up against a wall. She kicked it a second time then jumped to her feet. "Wait a second." She kicked another wall in the room; it did not make the same noise.

Youlie hopped to her feet and began to open the drawers of the desk, "Hollow."

"There isn't a wall back here." She knocked on the wood, confirming the hollowness. "A secret room? Why?" She began to search the right side and drawers of the desk.

After some searching the two found the lever and popped it, opening the secret door to a storage closet containing jewelry and supplies.

The warrior scanned the room. "Storage." Shelves, jewelry, crates, pile of blankets, tools. She froze and looked back to the pile of blankets... pile of blankets? Leiah walked over to the blankets and lifted them, revealing a frightened male high elf with red hair and freckles in commoner's clothing, cowering. "Oh, it's just you."

Youlie peered down at the ginger male, not hiding the disappointment in her voice, "Zan. You're alive."

"It's safe, brother. You can come out." Leiah's voice lacked the disappointment that her sister's had. She turned and walked out of the closet. She turned to Youlie, "I'm going to go get our friend."

Youlie gave her a nod, exited the closet, and leaned against a wall. She crossed her arms and glared at Zan, "If you ask I'll deck you."

The ginger male, Zan, wore black pants and a brown vest over a white button-up shirt, his long copper red hair was tied back in a ponytail. He slunk from the storage closet, closing it behind him. He noticed the damage to his sister's face and stood there slack jawed for a moment, holding back the obvious question. He managed to instead push out an awkward, "I'm glad to see you. I thought I was the only one left."

Leiah led the still tethered Tyan down to the bottom floor and handed the rope to Zan, "Here, you take care of our priest; he's your responsibility now. Get him fed then get him to sleep. He's going to need it."

Tyan's crossed his arms and his ears drooped as he stared at Zan before glancing at the. His day just kept getting worse. First the zombie apocalypse, then getting separated from his brother, then getting 'rescued' by the gingers.

Zan gestured to Tyan, "Come on, kitchen is this way."

Tyan walked in the direction Zan gestured with Zan at his heels. He rolled his eyes, as if two angry gingers weren't enough.

Zan spoke to Tyan as they entered the kitchen, "There was stew slow-cooking before I hid, it should still be good. I think it was supposed to be our supper tonight."

Tyan sat down at the dining table in the kitchen and waited, staring at the floor.

Zan filled two large bowls with stew and produced bread and butter and delivered it all to the table. He sat down, sliding utensil to Tyan; he tried to make awkward conversation. "This is probably the last time we'll have mother's cooking."

That sure didn't make Tyan feel any better. He quietly began to eat, avoiding eye-contact.

"What's wrong?" Zan asked, chipmunking some bread in his right cheek, "Well, aside from the army of undead tearing through the city and killing many?"

Tyan frowned, spooning a potato in the stew bowl, "Not happy with your sisters treating me like I'm some sort of possession."

"Oh, that's just my sisters being mean, they are always like that. Don't let them get to you." Zan forced a smile and holding it for a few moments before finishing the bread in his mouth.

Tyan glanced up at him, "... I guess."

"Besides, you're my responsibility, so technically you're MY priest. And I'm not like them." Zan forced another smile.

Tyan let out a sarcastic, "No?" then looked back down at his food, not believing him.

"And I will use it as a term of endearment." Zan kept smiling, sarcasm flying right over his head.

"Endearment?" Tyan raised a brow, looking up at Zan again.

Zan explained, "Like me, you must also suffer my sisters, my priest. We're practically family... Well, despite not knowing your name or anything like that."

Tyan bowed his head again, returning his attention to the food, "Tyan Sunbrand..."

"Sunbrand. My father used to talk a lot about a Sunbrand. Father was a priest." Zan looked up at the ceiling and awkwardly commented, trying again to make conversation.

"It was probably my father. I'm not even a good priest so unless he was complaining he wasn't talking about me. Even my kid brother was better at it than I was." Tyan spoke then took a bite of stew. After chewing he asked, "Anything to drink?"

"I tried to be a priest once. I got kicked out when I was still an initiate because I couldn't wield the light." Zan got up, "Oh crap. I almost forgot the tea." He fumbled around, preparing hot water for tea, returning to eating until the water was ready.

Tyan curiously peered at him; he imagined what Zan's father looked like. Then it clicked, "I had seen your father around."

Zan sat back down and continued, "I figured you would have. Anyhow, I couldn't cast any magic and was too weak and clumsy to do anything else so I got put to work running the family business."

Tyan looked back at his food, "That is unfortunate."

The two ate in awkward silence; the tea was prepared and served. Zan used a different kind of tea for himself than for Tyan, explaining that the tea he was giving Tyan was his late mother's specialty. The two finished the meal.

"The second order is sleep." Zan got up and walked over to Tyan, leaning over and picking up the rope from the ground.

Tyan stood up and crossed his arms, shooting a glare at Zan, instant attitude; he hated that rope, "Whatever you say. Not tired though."

Zan's ears drooped at the glare. He shrugged it off and led Tyan up to the second floor and to his bedroom, a typical elven room with a medium sized bed and a desk. He took Tyan to one side of the bed and pulled back the covers.

Tyan sat down, put his prayer book and mace on the bedside table. He removed his shoes and gave Zan a pleading look. "I'm really not tired."

Zan frowned, "Well try so my sisters won't hassle us." He let go of the rope and walked across the room. He grabbed his desk's chair and pulled it closer to the bed.

Tyan lay down, grabbed his book, pulled the covers over himself, and started to read. He turned his back to Zan, "You're not going to sleep?"

Zan leaned back in his chair, "Nah, I can't watch over you if I'm asleep."

"Creepy." Tyan yawned and pulled the covers tightly around him, "Maybe I am sleepy after all." He closed his eyes.

"The tea is likely kicking in." Zan mumbled, closing his eyes as well.

"Tea... yes, the tea. The tea... was... drugged." Tyan sighed slightly, closed his prayer book and threw it at Zan and drifted off.

Zan winced as the book hit him in the chest and bounced to the floor. Zan picked the book up and mumbled, "I deserved that..." He opened the prayer book up and read it.

Meanwhile the sisters were packing all manners of things into packs the family used for camping.

Youlie let out a sigh, "Sister we need to talk." She got up and headed to the balcony, it was now dusk. She sat on the ground, looking out on the open area below, the town square, the fountain, bushes, benches, abandoned merchant carts, lone shambling undead and the occasional small roaming zombie herd.

Leiah stepped out after her and sat beside her, "What's on your mind?"

"We can't take them with us. We should leave while we still can." Youlie explained.

Leiah glared at her, "We promised the priest we'd save him and Zan is our brother. I'm not going to just leave them to die."

Youlie pointed at the undead below, "Look, sister. It's the end of the world. We've been invaded and defeated by an army of animated corpses."

"How many of us are even left?" Leiah asked, glaring at the undead. "We need every single Quel'dorei still alive to stay alive. When we get out of this and take back our home the first order of business will be to rebuild and the second order will be to make babies."

"The priest, sure, he actually has talents and skills. But Zan? He's useless. Do we really want people like him to parent in the next generation? Only the strong are going to survive this." Youlie crossed her arms.

Leiah sighed, "Until we find another living brother, he is the only person who can pass on the family name. We'll find him a nice competent girl and make sure our family continues. Besides, he's probably just a late bloomer."

Youlie rolled her eye, "Optimism? You really can't be serious. At his age, if he hasn't found his calling it's because he doesn't have one."

Leiah stared blankly at Youlie, "It's either that or we become single mothers with bastard children. Do you want to be a mother? Because I sure as hell don't, not anytime soon."

Youlie shook her head no, "Fine. Then if we find someone else to pass on the family name we'll leave him behind. If we have to choose between ourselves living or all of us dying, we need to leave them and get out ourselves."

"Nope" Leiah crossed her arms, "Not going to leave family behind. You can leave if you want, I'll fight to the death to prote-"

Suddenly a male high elf with wild reddish brown hair bolted into the area below being chased by a herd of no less than a dozen undead. He wore simple dark robes, a sword and spell book at his side, and had a shadowy elemental following him, a warlock. All the undead in the area immediately turned and shambled towards him.

Youlie glared, "Great, just what we need, another cowardly idiot attracting the dead to the area." She glared a Leiah, "Just let him die."

The elf stopped in his tracks and began casting dark magic spells at the oncoming herd before bolting again, running behind carts, over crates, and circles around the fountain, a few of the new undead pursuing him blocked his way. With the wave of his hand his elemental vanished and a magical shell formed around him. He bolted through the undead threatening to block his path back to the opening area and casted again then ran around the various obstacles of the town square again.

Leiah watched this display then smiled at Youlie, "And what if he survives? Don't mistake strategy for cowardice."

"He won't." Youlie crossed her arms.

The warlock ran, occasionally pointing back at the perusing herd, his finger glowing purple with dark energy. One by one the dead dropped dead... a second time.

"I think he will. If he survives he'll be good enough to help protect our charge. He might just be the extra help we need to get everyone out of this alive." Leiah leaned back, watching the warlock.

Youlie rolled her eye.

After five more minutes of running the last of the pursuing undead fell. The warlock stopped by the fountain and fell to his knees, winded. He panted heavily as he leaned over the fountain, cupped water from it in his hands and began to drink.

Leiah's grin grew huge, "I told you he'd make it. Get his attention and I'll let him in." She rose and walked back inside.

Youlie growled and grabbed a fistful of pebbles from a potted plant and threw one near the warlock.

The pebble hitting the ground alarmed the warlock, who sat up from drinking from the fountain and looked around. Seeing nothing he panted, "I must... be losing it." He went back to drinking.

Youlie chucked another pebble near the warlock.

Again, the warlock sat up, looking around, his breathing was beginning to slow.

Youlie chucked another pebble.

The warlock turned in the direction of the pebbles' sound. He looked around but not up. "What the hell?"

Youlie lobbed another pebble, this time hitting the warlock smack dab in the forehead.

"Ow." The warlock stormed in the direction of the pebbles, muttering obscenities under his breath. He looked behind a nearby cart, searching for the pebble's source.

Youlie leaned over the balcony and bounced a pebble off the front door then slipped inside the balcony door.

The warlock looked at the door, looking pretty pissed. The door slid open just a little. The warlock blinked and immediately pulled the door open enough for him to step inside. The door closed behind him and was locked.

The warlock looked around the dark room. His eyes strained to see in the complete darkness and cast a small fireball at the tip of his index finger to illuminate the room. "Hello?"

Youlie crouched before him on the counter, candle in hand; she put the wick of the candle to the warlock's tiny fireball and lit it.

The warlock's eyes focused on Youlie.

Youlie gave him a toothy grin, "Hello."

The lock looked around the room. He saw Leiah leaned against the door. He rubbed his forehead, "Thanks."

"The name's Leiah. That's Youlie. The last name is Pyranor. Our brother Zan and a priest, Tyan, are asleep upstairs. There's chow and fresh water in the kitchen and the rooms with open doors up above are free to use. Be quiet, eat, and rest. The next few days will be rough." Leiah pointed to the kitchen door.

"Dalaen Duskhallow." He offered his hand for a shake but Leiah crossed her arms in response so Dalaen meandered off to get some chow then off to sleep.

Youlie rolled her eye.


	3. Chapter 3: The Escape

_Warlocks can't actually control people like demons in game, but you know very well they would if the could._

**Chapter 3: The Escape**

The next morning Tyan awoke in the strange room, he had forgotten where he was. He blinked a few times then sat up; memories flooding back as he peered around. His eyes rested on the still chair-sitting Zan.

"Good morning" Zan greeted Tyan, he was still wide awake.

"Did you even sleep?" Tyan rubbed the back of his own neck.

"Yeah, I napped on the floor. Been up for maybe an hour, didn't want to wake you." Zan set Tyan's prayer book back on the bed stand.

Leiah cleared her throat, announcing her presence. She lingered in the doorway, "It's about time, priest. Both of you get down here and grab your packs. We're leaving."

Tyan got to his feet and collected his belongings, "But wouldn't it be smarter to go at night, you know, stealthy?" He fumbled with the still attached rope.

"Shut up priest. Thinking isn't your job, it's mine. Just go." Leiah pointed downstairs, she believed the mindless undead couldn't actually see, or smell for that matter, only hear. But she wasn't going to explain that to an idiot.

Zan got up and rested a hand on Tyan's shoulder in attempt to comfort him before picking up the rope and leading him down.

Leiah and Youlie were already wearing packs and ready to go, as was Dalaen.

Dalaen turned his attention to the arriving priest and freckly one, "Well, what do we have here? Why the rope?"

Leiah explained, "It's so he doesn't run away or do anything stupid."

Dalaen got a sadistic grin on his face. He'd been dreaming of this moment, wanting to try this for so long. Dashingly, he spoke, "Ladies, I might be able to assist you, rope-free." He held his hand towards Tyan, palm facing the priest, fingers spread, dark energy swirling about it.

Zan narrowed his eyes, tensing at the spell, feeling this situation was counter to his duty of protecting Tyan, "What are you doing to my priest!?"

Tyan peered blankly at the warlock, visibly slumped over; he could not stop what was going on so he let out another sigh of self-pity. Worst week ever.

Dalaen let out a chuckle, sending the dark energy swirling around Tyan. The dark energy formed into chains, surrounding the priest for a few moments before flickering out of sight. This trick was usually reserved for demons, but Tyan was particularly weak in comparison to Dalaen's massive amount of willpower.

Tyan jolted to standing upright, chin in air, eyes closed. His mind began to panic and his heart raced, he had no control over his body. It was official; he completely hated his life and wanted to be zombie-chow.

Zan bolted forward, angry, moving to punch Dalaen in the chest. Despite his physical weakness, Zan managed to wind Dalaen and knock him to the floor, "Let him go, now!"

Dalaen gasped for air, looking at the angry ginger. He smirked at the raging redhead, this was too funny. His hand began to glow, preparing to take control of Zan as he did Tyan.

Zan lunged forward, swinging at the warlock again but was met with Leiah's plate-clad foot in his gut. His eyes widened and he fell to his knees, doubled over in pain.

Dalaen finished his spell and sent dark chains of binding around Zan, freezing him on his knees, doubled over with his eyes closed. He smiled slyly at the sisters, "See? I'll take me a little while to get the hang of handling them. If I may?"

Leiah nodded, "Certainly."

Youlie let out a laugh, this was too amusing.

Dalaen sat down on the front room counter and focused, peering sadistically at Zan. After several minutes he forced Zan up and over to the remaining two packs, making him put one on and stand near his sisters. Dalaen then turned his attention to Tyan, reproducing the same result. The warlock paused before focusing again.

Zan regained control of his body and gasped, looking around. He moved to Tyan, shaking the priest, "Tyan, my priest, are you alright, can you hear me?" He just kept shaking the priest.

Tyan stood completely still, blankly staring through Zan. He could hear Zan just fine, but couldn't respond, he wallowed in his self-pity and grew annoyed with the ceaseless shaking.

Dalaen turned his attention to Tyan and several minutes later the priest undid the rope, handed it to Youlie, and then regained control of himself as well.

Tyan shot an annoyed glare at the shaking Zan, "I'm alright now. By the light, stop shaking me." Tyan whispered.

Zan's ears drooped and he let go of the priest. He shot a hateful glare at Dalaen. He wanted to beat the snot out of the warlock but he had a suspicion that if he attempted to do so he'd find himself unable.

Dalaen looked at the sisters again, "I'm still in control, but mindless meat puppets are SO boring. This way we can still play with them, it is much more entertaining that way."

Leiah crossed her arms, "Dalaen, if that's what makes you happy then so be it. Just keep them quiet, make them do what they're supposed to, not behave like idiots and I'll be happy." She turned and headed upstairs, "let's get moving."

The five went out onto the balcony where a ladder was sent up. The gang, sans Youlie, climbed up the ladder and onto the roof. Youlie stashed the ladder back inside, locking up, then scaled using her now reclaimed rope.

They walked along the roof, easily stepping from one roof to another. They headed north for a while before reaching a gap, maybe six feet wide.

Youlie flung her rope across then did a balancing act as she walked across it.

Dalaen summoned a demon to fly him across then dismissed it, leaving Leiah, Zan, and Tyan.

Leiah grabbed Tyan and lifted him off his feet. She smirked and whispered to him, "Better levitate" then lobbed him in the direction they were trying to go.

Tyan's eyes widened and he whimpered, grabbing another feather from his pocket and levitating himself. He landed safely on the other side. He was going to get all of them when this was all over.

Leiah pulled Zan's pack off of him, grabbed him, and lobbed him across. There was no levitation and Zan landed face down on the flat rooftop. He let out a yelp from the painful landing but no noise came out.

Leiah then threw Zan's pack, which landed safely on Zan's still down body, invoking a sigh from her brother. Leiah then took several steps back and took a flying leap, making it across to the other roof.

Dalaen waved a hand, forcing the silently whining Zan to his feet and to get his pack back on.

Tyan glared at pretty much everyone. He was starting to really hate all of this; he began plotting ways to get revenge for this humiliation. Everyone would pay.

The group carried on, still heading north and west. Ten minutes later they arrived at the side of the city and peered down from the roof. It was a several story drop.

Youlie set up her rope again and slid down, Dalaen followed. Tyan sighed then levitated down.

Zan looked down from the roof, as far as he was concerned it was a very long drop, too long, "I don't know about this."

Leiah grinned and gave him a good shove. He fell off the roof landing on a pile of corpses with an 'oof' noise. "Go, coward."

Tyan blinked, he could have sworn he heard two oofs. He stared at the corpse pile then walked over to them, crouching.

Leiah jumped down, landing crouched with a metal thunk, "What are you up to, priest?"

Dalaen made a gesture with his hand, yanking the priest several feet away from the corpses and onto his behind.

The priest sighed at being yanked. Then he lied, "They may have useful things. Let's search them." Tyan looked physically ill seeing the corpse pile.

Leiah walked over and started hastily going through the corpses, pulling off weapons and belt satchels before rolling them aside. Three corpses down Leiah froze, her eyes widened and she gingerly touched the neck of the corpse. The corpse was that of a now cold, stiff, pulseless, a very young, barely even an adult, freckly red haired male elf priest that lay clenching his staff. She scooped the stiff corpse up and laid it carefully beside the new pile and walked away back towards the city wall, burying her face in her hands.

Tyan wiped the ill look off his face and examined the corpse then yanked the staff away from it and collected other things, prayer book, pack, jewelry. He knew this priest, he was a young prodigy named Oliver. Tyan opened the prayer book and looked for the name, last name? Pyranor. He frowned deeply realizing the reason for the warrior's reaction. He covered the young priest's face with a handkerchief, opened his own prayer book, and began to pray for his soul.

Youlie growled and took up corpse duty, moving two more corpses before she touched one and froze. "This one is warm." She pulled the warm body away from the corpses by the arm. The muscles in the arm tensed, "Are you alive? Awake?" She then growled and gave the body a good kick in the ribs, "Get up you coward."

The survivor, a white haired male elf in blood drenched robes, hair tied back loosely. He couldn't feign his own death anymore and opened his eyes. He peered up at the angry one-eyed rogue.

"Get up!" The rogue kicked again, she was infuriated, her sister was upset and the survivor they found was content laying around.

The survivor muttered, "I can't." His robes were burnt and sliced in several places and his skin beneath them was badly burned and scarred from hasty cauterization, his back seemed to have a red tinted frozen shell on it.

Leiah walked back to group, her freckled face having turned a red color. She wiped a tear from her cheek, grimaced, and then picked the robed elf up, "Fine. I'll give you a free ride just this once. You owe me one."

Tyan shoved Oliver's belongings deep in the pack he had been tasked to carry, rose from the corpse and rejoined everyone else; he clenched the late priestling's staff in his hands.

The group walked over a bridge not more than one-hundred feet away then along the shore for quite a while before stopping on the beach.

Tyan looked around, confused. "This is-"

Dalaen raised a hand, silencing the priest. "Be silent."

Tyan glared at Dalaen. Oh, he was going to suffer the most.

Youlie gestured for everyone to follow then waded into the cold water about 20 feet out then dived.

Dalaen followed her with little outward complaint, but the water was cold and for this he was not pleased.

Zan turned to Tyan, offering the priest his hand, "We used to come here as children, there's a large underwater cavern here. We should be safe, I'll take you."

Tyan peered blankly at Zan's hand then nodded but didn't take it. He was perfectly capable of swimming after someone on his own.

Leiah stood behind them, visibly irritated. She didn't feel like carrying this new survivor any longer than she had to. "Move it you two."

Zan and Tyan took passage to the cavern, which had been lit by a torch, splashing to the surface with gasps and coughing. Dalaen took control of them again. They made their way to shore, climbed out and removed their packs, then sat them quietly shivering against a wall before releasing them again.

Leiah looked down at the injured survivor, "Hold your breath."

The survivor nodded and gasped for air.

Leiah walked into the water, submerging much quicker than the others did, she wasn't trying to stay afloat. Instead she moved along the bottom of the water down to the cavern and only swam to get up out of the water and into the cave. She stepped out, still holding the survivor.

The survivor gasped for air, Leiah didn't. She just silently and calmly inhaled and exhaled like normal.

Leiah dropped the injured white haired male elf almost carelessly then dropped her pack next to him, almost hitting him in the head. She went about brooding.

Tyan went immediately to the stranger's side, examining the wounds. He peered at the cauterized areas, "Did you do this yourself?"

"Yes. I had to in order to not bleed out." The injured mumbled. He decided to get to the point, "I can't move or feel my legs." He knew why, the area he iced over instead of cauterized was because cauterization wouldn't have repaired the damage.

"And you dragged yourself to the corpses and feigned death? You've got some pretty good common sense... for a man in a dress. What's your name?" Leiah asked.

"Magister Iviaen Brightblaze." The injured answered; Tyan rolled him onto his stomach and investigated his back. A gash across the lower spine, rather than cauterize, this was frozen in ice. Likely cut the nerves and broken bones. A mage can sometimes save themselves from death by encasing themselves in ice. This one encased an area was this mage's survival trick.

Tyan frowned and bowed his head then took a deep breath and rested his hands, which glowed a shimmering golden white, on Iviaen's back. "I don't know if I can fix this, but I can sure try. There's a very god chance you'll never walk again." He sighed and wallowed in self-pity.

Dalaen glared at Tyan, "Cut the pessimistic crap, priest. This situation is just as bad for everyone else as it is you. No one feels sorry for you and no one wants to hear you complain or sigh. Look at the mage, he's far worse off than you are and he's in a better mood. Stop being a bitch and make yourself useful."

Zan got to his feet and stormed over to Dalaen, he didn't appreciate his priest being addressed like that, "Shut up you asshole."

"A mage, water and portals, useful and awesome. That is someone actually worth saving." Youlie said as she began to unpack and set up camp.

"That is Lord Asshole to you, whelp." Dalaen waved a hand, forcing Zan down to the floor. He produced a piece of paper, a bottle of ink, and a quill from one of the packs and set it on the floor before Zan, "Why don't you make yourself useful, boy, and make a registry of survivors, or is that too much to ask?" He gave Zan upper body control.

Zan begrudgingly grabbed the quill and paper and began to write. Leiah Pyranor, Youlie Pyranor, Zan Pyranor, Tyan Sunbrand, Iviaen Brightblaze, Dalaen... He glared up at the warlock and spoke in a severely sarcastic tone, "Hey Dalaen, Lord Asshole, whatever, full real name?"

"Dalaen Duskhallow" answered the looming warlock. He chuckled a little at the sarcasm.

Tyan sat there for hours in profound concentration, healing, speaking not a word. He tried to tune everyone out so his mind wouldn't wander to methods of ending them all.

Everyone else unpacked and set up camp. Useful items from the packs had been wrapped in blankets to keep them dry while under the water. There was even a little bit of firewood.

"There... legs are still broken but the back is fixed." Tyan muttered then rolled his eyes back and collapsed onto Iviaen.

Iviaen sighed, annoyed at the weight upon him, he rhetorically asked, "Why do people keep landing on me?"

"Tyan!" Zan rushed to Tyan's side scooping him up and moving him to a bedroll, "Rest." He sat watchfully over Tyan.

Leiah glanced at Youlie, "At least he is taking the task of taking care of the priest seriously, too seriously."

"He might be obsessed." Youlie responded, shaking her head.


	4. Chapter 4: Awakening

Chapter 4: Awakening

Leiah loaded one of the packs up, put it on, and walked to the water, "Youlie. I need your help. Come on."

The rogue headed after her. The sisters walked along the beach back towards the city.

"We should give our brother's corpse a proper disposal." Leiah explained, "Then we should find survivors."

Youlie rolled her eye, "It's pretty risky and more than a little stupid to worry about giving Oliver a burial when there is an army of undead roaming around the place."

They crossed the bridge and arrived where the pile was before. The corpses were gone replaced by tracks from a cart.

Leiah frowned and bowed her head, "I'm so sorry little brother."

Youlie grabbed Leiah and dragged her away from where the corpse pile had been, "He wouldn't want us to stand around wasting time being sad when we could be helping people."

Meanwhile Zan sat over the unconscious Tyan, running his hand through Tyan's white hair, "Wake up Tyan. Please? You're the closest thing I have to a real friend in all of this."

Dalaen sat against a wall scribbling in a book while Iviaen sat leaned up beside him. Iviaen stared at the book curiously.

On a whim, Dalaen waved a hand and yanked Zan away and spun him so he faced the campfire. He cracked a slight grin.

Zan let out an annoyed growl, he didn't much like being moved against his will, "What do you want, Dalaen?"

"Make yourself useful and fetch us something to eat." Dalaen answered without even looking up.

Iviaen peered curiously at Dalaen and raised a brow, "Did you actually manage to successfully cast a spell of binding on non-demons?"

Dalaen grinned proudly at Iviaen, "Yep. They were both weak minded practically useless idiots, wasn't much of a challenge."

"Congratulations. I had a few friends that fell into the dark arts, any one of them have probably dreamed of doing such things. It's quite the feat." Iviaen gave Dalaen a pat on the shoulder.

Zan crouched by the two and handed them each a bread roll. Dalaen waved a hand, letting Zan have control and Zan bolted right back to Tyan.

The two ate. Afterwards Iviaen commented, "You should try to be a little nicer to them and do make amends before letting them go permanently."

"Why?" Dalaen asked.

Iviaen folded his hands and gave sagely advice, "Unlike demons or elementals, they won't vanish back to some other plane of existence when you release them. That one seems extremely mad at you already. If you aren't more considerate you might wind up with a knife in your back and a healer unwilling to heal you."

Dalaen looked over at the duo, "I hate to say it but you have a point." He paused in thought for a moment before he got to his feet and walked over to Zan. He loomed above the ginger and addressed him, "Zan. What would you be willing to do for help waking your priest friend?"

Zan looked up at Dalaen, "Pretty much anything. He's actually useful, I'm not."

"It's good that you know your place." Dalaen chuckled, "But I can redirect a majority of your life energy into him. It should wake him and enable him to help others at the cost of you being very weak and exhausted. Of course you'll recover in time."

Zan looked back at Tyan, he contemplated for a moment and touched the unconscious priest's face, "Do it."

Dalaen pointed at Zan and his hand glowed with dark energy. He began to syphon Zan's energy from his body and move it to Tyan's. When the deed was done Zan slumped over, struggling to keep himself off the ground.

Tyan's eyes fluttered open and looked around, "Huh?"

Dalaen towered over the priest, "Your friend had me use his life energy to revive you. Why don't you get some food then put that energy to use?" Dalaen pointed at Iviaen.

Tyan peered at Iviaen then looked at Zan. He whispered, "Are you okay?" Thoughts about revenge against Zan vanished from his mind.

Zan struggled to nod he felt so weak, "Yes." His arms trembled as he struggled not to fall to the floor.

"Thank you for this." Tyan whispered then got to his feet. He drifted to the campfire and collected some food for himself and ate.

Dalaen lingered over Zan, "Lie down, don't waste what you have left on holding yourself up. Pride is foolish at a time like this."

Zan didn't acknowledge the comment directly but instead moved himself over the bedroll Tyan was on and laid down, resting.

Tyan moved to Iviaen's side and knelt. He rested his hands on the mage's legs and began to try and heal the breaks with his eyes and hands glowing that golden white color.

"Hey Tyan." Iviaen looked at the priest's face, he was thankful for the priest's presence and willingness to help, in spite of being treated in a less-than-stellar manner, "Thanks."

Tyan gave no response, deep in concentration. Deep down his heart fluttered, appreciating the appreciation. He decided that Iviaen would be spared from his glorious revenge.

Dalaen wandered back over to Iviaen and Tyan, watching the priest work. He commented, "I never understood these holy types. They can be so... stupid and short-sighted. He ran himself ragged helping you before. Who knows how long it would have taken him to recover if I hadn't woken him."

Iviaen shook his head, "Give him a break. He was willing to give his all and push himself to his absolute limits and beyond to help me, a complete stranger."

"It was altruistic but unwise. What if he didn't wake up and died from starvation? He needs to realize that taking care of himself will keep him able to help more people." Dalaen almost nagged. "Did you hear that, priest?"

Tyan remained quiet and tried to ignore the warlock's prattling.

Dalaen waved a hand, magically giving the priest a good shake, "Did you hear that, priest!?"

Tyan looked up at Dalaen then lifted a hand off of Iviaen's leg and let loose a bolt of holy energy that sent Dalaen flying a few feet back and onto his rear. Tyan spoke, "What part of I'm trying to heal here don't you understand, warlock? Shut up. No one wants to hear your egotistical blathering."

Dalaen stood up and walked back over to Iviaen and Tyan, "Touché, priest. Touché."

Iviaen gave Dalaen a grin, "I think a little respect out of you would have gone a long way, or at least kept you off your rear. He deserves a bit of respect."

"Fine." Dalaen crossed his arms, visibly unhappy with the idea of having to respect his whiny oversized meat puppets.

Leiah emerged from the water and dumped her backpack. She looked at the trio, "Dalaen, we could use your help searching for survivors."

Dalaen got up and walked over to Leiah, "Very well." He was relieved that he would have some time before having to be respectful of his puppets.

"I see Tyan is awake and healing again. Good. Now if only Zan would stop being so useless." Leiah crossed her arms and glared at her sleeping brother.

Dalaen, against his normal nature, spoke up and explained, "In compliance with your brother's wishes, I used magic to shift most of your brother's life energy into the priest and woke him. He's made himself extremely useful at the cost of being extremely exhausted. Give him a break." This was his way of being nice.

Leiah waded back into the water, she considered her brother's almost heroic willingness to self-sacrifice as she went, "Well I'll be damned."

Dalaen followed her, leaving Iviaen and Tyan alone. He figured the Magister could handle the priest should he try to flee. Turn him into some form of livestock, maybe a sheep or a goat, or even a pig. No, an ass, definitely an ass.

Tyan's eyes and hands stopped glowing shortly after; he retracted his hands, and asked "Do you really believe that?"

Iviaen stumbled to his feet, "Hmmm?" He began to move his legs to see if everything was working correctly.

"The respect thing." Tyan rose to his feet and looked over at the sleeping Zan. "Do you truly believe that?"

Iviaen looked at Tyan, "Of course. If it weren't for you and our friend over there I'd not be standing here right now, in fact, I would be dead in a stinking pile of corpses. Both of you are noble in your sacrifices and have my utmost respect."

"Th-thank you." Tyan looked Iviaen in the eyes for a minute, catching sincerity. He actually liked the magister and was glad to have healed him. He, along with Zan, were the only two of the other five Tyan found to have redeeming traits. He moved away from the mage, back over to Zan. He shook Zan's arm and asked, "Are you awake?"

Zan opened an eye and cracked a half smile, "You sure got that Warlock didn't you?"

Tyan nodded, "Then he stood up for you, strangely enough. Maybe I shocked a tiny bit of decency into him."

Zan struggled but eventually sat himself up, he hated being so weak, but it was a small price to pay to help his priest, "Against my big sister no less. Maybe he's not a completely sadistic asshole after all, just mostly one."

Iviaen walked over to the campfire and the makeshift pantry. He grabbed two of several mason jars full of leftover stew and a pair of spoons then walked over to Tyan and Zan. He chuckled, "Sadistic asshole? Well it does fit."

Tyan looked up at Iviaen, "Hmmm?"

Iviaen held one jar in each hand, his eyes and hands glowed with an orange fire as he heated the jars' contents. He handed one with utensil to the duo. "Here. There are likely to be more injured on their way here even as we speak. In one way the sadistic asshole is actually right; you should take care of yourself." He turned his attention to Zan, "And you're of no use lying down, you need to regain your strength."

Tyan shook his head, "I had bread, I couldn't eat all of this."

Zan looked at the jar, "I'm of no use at all. I don't have any magic or any useful skill. I'm not worth it, it'd just be wasteful. My sisters will punish me if I dare touch something like this." He grew saddened, "I overheard them talking, Youlie wanted to leave me to die."

Iviaen rolled his eyes, "I will deal with your sisters if they make any sort of fuss over this. If it weren't for you, Tyan wouldn't have healed me and I'd still be sitting over there on my ass. Just eat the damn food." Then to Tyan he added, "I'll eat what's left if either of you can't finish. Nothing will go to waste."

Tyan opened his jar and ate without further argument, he was actually really hungry. Healing took a lot out of him.

Zan nodded, "Yes sir." He then tried to open the jar but it wouldn't budge.

Iviaen snatched it from his hands, made a fist, and pounded the jar's lid a few times before opening the jar. He handed it back to Zan then got up and walked back over to the fire, adding a few more wood pieces to it.

The sisters and Dalaen returned to the camp a few hours later with a pair of refugees, the refugees had minor cuts and scratches, nothing really warranting healing.

Youlie looked around the room; Iviaen was sitting by the fire, munching on a bread roll. Tyan was curled up on a bed roll and Zan was on the roll a few feet away, between the priest and the cave entry. She caught sight of the empty food jars and let out a growl, "Damn it, why did they steal our dinner? Greedy lazy selfish bastards, don't they even care that those of us who are out running around saving people need nutrients more than a pair of sleeping idiots?" She stormed over to Zan and wound up to kick him in the lower back.

Zan woke with a yelp from the pain and turned to see who just gave him the boot. He frowned at it being his sister, his ears drooped.

Iviaen rose and walked up to Youlie, he got into her personal space as he spoke up, "I gave it to that pair of sleeping idiots. If you have a problem why don't you take it up with someone who's actually awake enough and able to defend themselves instead of taking a cheap shot?"

Youlie spun around to face Iviaen, she glared. If looks could kill he's be a dead mage, "Care to explain why you wasted our food?"

Iviaen did explain, and gave one hell of a lecture that left Youlie, Leiah, Dalaen, and their new refugees' jaws all gaping in sheer speechlessness.


	5. Chapter 5: Reunion

_Battlepriests. Mildly Badass. No matter how cool I try to make it, Lightwell will never be cool._

**Chapter 5: Reunion**

In the hours and days that followed, the sisters and the two casters would collect a dozen or so survivors found on the outskirts of town as well as collect resources from the city. The collective utilized Iviaen's ability to make portals and Dalaen's ability to enchant stones as summoning beacons to get in and out of their hiding den without that pesky problem of becoming drenched. Tyan and Zan spent their time behind at the den, acting as babysitters and caretakers to the other survivors the group had acquired.

Youlie would scout the city with a conjured crystal ball from Iviaen, find houses or shops with resources like food, break in, and assist the mage in creating a portal. It is with these resources that the collective and the survivors they gathered survived.

After a week, Dalaen, Iviaen, Youlie and Leiah happened upon a relatively large camp of survivors set up in one of the badly damaged villages. The elves had erected makeshift walls from wreckage around the camp to keep random zombies from wandering in and causing a ruckus. Remains of the military fought off the frequent waves of undead at their camp's entry while others, military and civilians alike, rested and hid behind the fortifications.

Leiah approached the gate and was welcomed by some of the guarding forces. She addressed them, "I have a small group of survivors hidden away. I'd like to speak to whoever is in charge here."

One of the guarding elves gestured the group in, once inside they asked around and eventually made their way into a large makeshift shelter made up of cloth and wreckage. The shelter was lit by a fire and contained a small seating area near the entrance and the rest of the area and wounded laying on blankets and makeshift cots. Healers moved about and tended to the injured.

In the seating area sat a particularly disheveled and exhausted looking excuse for a Spellbreaker. His golden hair was knotted and turning a stark white at the roots, his skin was pale with bags under his sunken in eyes.

Beside the Spellbreaker sat an equally disheveled black haired sorceress who stared out into the distance, clenched a book against her chest, and rocked herself ever so slightly. She spoke to the group as they entered. "The registry. New arrivals should sign the registry." She held the book, a quill, and bottle of ink toward them.

Dalaen stared down at the sorceress then pulled a folded piece of parchment from his pocket and held it out to her instead. "Here is a list. Just put it in your book or something."

The sorceress took the paper, slipped it back in her book, and returned to staring off into space.

Leiah looked at the Spellbreaker, her face twisted slightly s she realized he would benefit from a bath, "Are you the one in charge of this camp?"

The Spellbreaker examined the four then nodded, "Yes. I would hope you've come to help us?"

Leiah nodded, "Yes. There are six of us plus some survivors we have collected and taken care of. We are ill-equipped to really handle as the few we're caring for, let alone take more."

"Then bring everyone here, as a collective we are strong enough to protect those in our care. You mentioned your six, what do you do?" The Spellbreaker asked.

"I'm a warrior, Youlie is a scout, Iviaen is a mage, and Dalaen is a warlock. Don't worry, he doesn't bite. We also have a priest and… my brother who is acting as his assistant." Leiah explained, maybe she should have said five.

The Spellbreaker shook his head side to side as the warrior spoke then nodded in acknowledgement, "Very good. We could especially use the priest. "

Leiah looked around at the very busy healers working in the rest of the room, "We can bring him here during the day but I quite like our camp for sleeping if that's alright."

The Spellbreaker shrugged, "That is fine." He turned his attention to the eldest of the healers, "Snowdawn, we are getting another priest for you."

The priest walked over to the group, he looked to be the equivalent of a human in his early forties, tall, broad-shouldered, and wearing robes indicative of some rank. His white hair was woven tightly into a braid. He scowled at the Spellbreaker, "Well that's great. Is the other shift ready? My team is exhausted and needs rest."

The Spellbreaker turned to the Sorceress and said, "Go ask the other Snowdawn if the second shift is ready." The sorceress left with no response.

Leiah looked at the priest then introduced herself; it was always good to befriend the healers. She hoped in doing so she would assure actually being healed should she be injured, "Leiah Pyranor."

"Tyvek Snowdawn." The priest answered and crossed his arms; he was very tired and not terribly interested in a chat.

Dalaen rubbed his head, "I'm assuming that there is another Snowdawn as well, since the sorceress went to go ask a Snowdawn something?"

Tyvek let out an exasperated sigh then gave a nod, "My brother Tyvon handles the other shift. These... people can't really tell the difference between us so they call us by our surname."

The sorceress returned, still clinging to her book, with the other Snowdawn, Tyvon, and a group of healers on her heels.

This Snowdawn looked exactly like the other Snowdawn except his hair was in a ponytail instead of a braid.

Dalaen looked between the two then let out a chuckle. The Snowdawns were identical twins who were styling themselves differently so those around them could differentiate, but their attempts were futile.

The two elder priests ignored Dalaen's laughter at their expense and instead exchanged a glance before Tyvek raised his voice at the working healers, "Shift is up, go get some rest while you can."

The working healers stopped what they were doing and quietly vacated. The new team moved in to pick up where they left off.

Youlie blinked a few times at one of the new healers. She ran over with a squeal and gave him a hug so tight he let out a squeak. She blurted out his name, "Danil!"

The healer, Danil, had short cropped blonde hair and was clad in brown leather and had daggers at his sides rather than a staff or a mace and book. He looked extremely young, as if he had just come of age. He was a rogue type, but doing some healing. He gasped for air, he recognized the voice. "Youlie... Can't breathe."

Tyvon walked over to Danil and gave him a stern look, "This is not social visiting time. Stop fooling around and get to work."

Youlie let go of Danil and questioned him, "You can heal?"

Danil glared at Tyvon and let out a forced, "Yes sir." He caught Youlie's face wound and opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He then turned to the task at hand. "Most of my family heals. I was taught how when I was young but decided I wanted to do something else instead. But right now we can use all the healers we can get, so here I am." He let out a displeased sigh, "When this is over I am swearing this crap off for good."

Another other young blonde priest beside Danil flipped through his prayer book. He calmly spoke, "You can quit all you wish but you can never really escape your fate."

"Shut up, Mia." Danil snapped at the other priest. "I don't have to follow the family path if I don't want to."

Youlie glared at Mia, "He's a decent at what he and I have been training to do. Dresses aren't for everyone you know. Instead of bullying him you should be thankful he is helping at all."

Tyvon walked up to the trio again. He glared down at Youlie, "I am going to have to ask you to leave. Your presence here is causing my priestlings to become distracted." He then turned his attention to the squabbling young healers, "Miastal, Danil, get back to work or I send you both out with shovels to help dig mass graves."

The young healing duo exchanged mocking facial expressions and unfriendly glances then went back to healing.

Youlie glared at Tyvon then walked back to Leiah and the guys, "You are a huge jerk. Why are you healers always so pissy? My brother was never that way. Did all the nice ones die? Is it because you're mad about wearing your dresses? You shouldn't be so mad, they're really pretty dresses."

Tyvek stood near the group. He answered, "We have been working twelve hour shifts since this all started, plus being on call for emergencies. We are completely exhausted. I expect even the young ones will go grey before this is over. Please just give us a break; we are under enough stress as it is."

Leiah nodded in acknowledgement of Tyvek's explanation then shook her head, embarrassed of her sister, "You'll have to excuse my sister. I find she can be short-sighted sometimes."

Tyvek shrugged, "It is fine. Now about that priest that you have. Could you retrieve him or her?"

"Sure." Leiah nodded then looked to Dalaen and Iviaen, "You know what to do." She then turned her attention to Tyvek, "His name is Tyan. He's a bit of a fumbling idiot but he can heal things. I don' know how much he will help."

Dalaen summoned a beacon of summoning while Iviaen created a portal. Dalaen hopped through and it closed behind him.

"Ahh. You found yourself a Tyan. Last seen being chased by a herd of undead, good to hear he managed to escape. He's actually slightly smarter than he acts." Tyvek responded.

"Only slightly. We saved his ass after he fell flat on his face near our hiding place." Leiah crossed her arms; she wasn't at all surprised that these priests knew their priest and agreed he was mostly an idiot.

After a few minutes Iviaen used the beacon to summon Zan, Tyan, and Dalaen back to the camp.

"I don't think this is a sm-" Tyan said as he appeared but stop and stared slack jawed at the ward he'd been summoned to. He turned his attention to the two young blonde healers.

Zan looked around the room with suspicion, concerned at Tyan's reaction; he rested a comforting hand on Tyan's shoulder. "What is it, my friend?"

Tyan walked away, pulling his shoulder free of Zan's hand, he moved over to Danil and Miastal then wrapped one arm around each one, "By the light, you did make it out after all!"

Zan walked over to the reunion and looked between Danil, Mia, and Tyan. He smirked at the young priests; he imagined this might have been what a very young Tyan was like.

Miastal looked at his hugger then bowed his head, "Yes we did thanks to you. It's good to see you alive."

Danil growled and pulled away from the affection, "Uncle, if you don't unhand me I will stab you. We are trying to work here."

Zan glared at Danil, remaining protective of Tyan, "You will do nothing of the sort."

Tyan let the duo go then returned to his feet. He looked around some more, and nodded to both Snowdawns before returning to Leiah and the others. Zan followed and stood nearby.

Leiah noticed the interactions and crossed her arms, "I take it you know them? Talk, Priest."

Tyan bowed his head and did as commanded, "That is my younger brother Miastal. That is my eldest brother's son Danil. And those two," he pointed to the Snowdawns, "Are my father's sister's sons."

Youlie laughed, "Well that explains the poor temperament. I sure do hope that the rest of your family has a higher competence level."

"Well, they mentioned surviving because of you. How exactly did a weak coward like you save anyone?" Leiah raised a brow.

"We were evacuating together when we happened upon a herd of undead, they threatened to kill us all so I made noise to get their attention and ran off, ready to sacrifice myself to save my baby brother and little cousin. That was the undead herd you rescued me from." Tyan explained.

Leiah just stared at Tyan, a baffled look on her face. Selfless sacrifice? Intentionally being pursued by the undead herd? Tyan suddenly we went from cowardly idiot to almost cunning hero. Almost. Something about needing to be rescued.

Tyan caught Leiah's stare and just gave Leiah a smug grin in response. He then wandered off to start healing with Zan at his heels.

Danil stared Zan sitting quietly beside Tyan then looked at Tyan, "Who's your shadow?"

"His name is Zan. His elder sister assigned him to be my personal assistant and caretaker. He can be bothersome at times but he's not that bad." Tyan answered.

"Personal assistant, eh? What does that job entail?" Mia asked. He didn't bother to look up from his prayer book at all.

"Well, I watch over him while he sleeps. I get him food when he's hungry, water when he is thirsty; fetch things for him when he is too busy to do it himself. Offer support and encouragement when he is feeling defeated. Stuff like that." Zan explained, eyes downturned, "I'm not really good at anything. At least this is something I can do to help. I'm moral support."

"Someone who brings food, water, and supplies could be helpful. It buys us more healing time. Will you assist us?" Mia asked, deep in contemplation.

"Yes, but you aren't MY priest. Tyan has priority." Zan agreed to help the other healers.

"Well thank you in advance." Mia glanced up at Zan and smiled. "You'll be a great boon to us getting more healing done."

A little over an hour later shouts filled the air, the camp was under attack. The crew of healers who had gone to rest entered the healing area and helped the working crew finish up the injured and get them clear.

The Spellbreaker let out a sigh and grabbed his shield and headed for the battlefield, the sorceress followed, and Tyvek and Tyvon grabbed their staves and left the room.

Zan remained seated near Tyan; he was doing what he had agreed to do, assisting all the healers by doing them simple things like fetching supplies, food, and water for them so they could stay at their posts longer. He asked, "What's going on?"

"We are under attack again. It happens every few hours. There will be injured and we will need to take care of them." Miastal explained, not looking up from healing, "We are best served at the moment freeing beds up."

"What can I do?" Zan asked, despite his lack of healing skills he was still eager to help.

"Be aware of which beds become available and direct the wounded to them as they stagger in." Miastal said as he closed his prayer book. He told his patient, "You're good enough to go. Just stay off of it as much as you can for a while."

The patient got up, nodded thanked him and departed with a limp.

Outside, Leiah, Dalaen, Iviaen, and Youlie stood near the entrance watching the commotion and the camp's defenders stream from the makeshift gates. Tyvek and Tyvon stopped beside them.

Tyvon asked, "Will you be joining us or are you going to stand there and be useless?"

"Is that a challenge?" Youlie cracked her knuckles then drew her daggers and bolted out the gates to join the fray, "You're on, dress boy."

Tyvon moved into the fray as well. He mumbled the words to a spell then knocked the undead near him back in an explosion of light energy. Tyvon then lifted one hand in the air then cast it down, calling down a holy fire from the heavens upon one of the several necromancers in the back.

Tyvek spun his staff around in his right hand, sending the bottom end up behind his back and holding the front end pointing down towards the ground. With a few words of power and a gesture of his left hand holy light swirled around the staff's top end, forming into a giant mallet head on each side of the pole.

Leiah eyed Tyvek then got a huge grin on her face when she realized the priest had tuned his staff into a comically oversized mallet, "That's a really awesome hammer. Never seen a priest do that before."

Tyvek moved off towards the fray, responding as he went, "That it is. I learned it from spending a healthy amount of time watching humans swing the light in the second war and started experimenting. I'm going to crush some undead with it now."

Leiah, Iviaen, and Dalaen moved into the battle as well.

Leiah fought mostly with her shield, shoving undead, slicing and stabbing them with the sides.

Like Tyvon, Iviaen and Dalaen called down fire, but not holy fire, just hot burning fire. Their combined efforts incinerated zombies one by one.

Tyvon yelled, "Attack the necromancers in back. We take them down and they stop raising the dead!" He waved a hand and created a small fountain of light energy among the melee fray which invigorated the tiring defenders and burning the undead around it.

The necromancers were displeased at the strategy targeting them being yelled out and turned their attention to Tyvon, throwing a barrage of shadow bolts his way.

As the volley struck him the priest he fell to his knees from the pain. With a gesture and a few muttered words Tyvon summoned small barrier appeared in front of him to reflect the bolts but it quickly shattered.

Tyvek slipped in front of his brother and with a gesture and some words of power the staff-mallet head of light warped into a barrier of light, much stronger than the barrier Tyvon created, appeared between them and the necromancers. He called out, "You heard my brother, take down the necromancers!"

The necromancers directed a sea of ghouls towards the twin priests to rip the barrier down. Leiah stepped forward and began to bash zombies away with her shield.

Tyvon mumbled some words and reinforced the barrier further. He looked to Dalaen and Iviaen, "Use the barrier for cover and get those necromancers out of here." He then created another light fountain beside Leiah to help repel the oncoming undead.

Dalaen and Iviaen slipped behind the barrier and wound up fire spells, singling out one necromancer on fire at a time.

"You know the saying, don't you Magister?" Dalaen asked Iviaen with a cunning grin.

"Which one, warlock?" Iviaen responded, dropping a fireball before Leiah, it exploded upon impact and knocked the undead away from her and combusted them.

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life." Dalaen cackled as they lit another necromancer aflame.

The duo lit alight a total of four necromancers and a majority of them fled screaming. Only one instead lay down and smothered the flame.

Iviaen put his face in his palm and sighed, "You, my friend, are such a warlock." He looked at the fleeing necromancers, "Three quarters of Scourge necromancers don't know how to stop, drop, and roll. Maybe their brains have been damaged by the plague?"

With the few necromancers fleeing, large groups of mindless undead lost their focus and shambled across the battlefield in an aimless manner. The elven defenders disposed of them and pushed forward, sending more of the necromancers running, killing a few of them, destroying meat wagons, abominations, and skeletal mages.

The battlefield grew quiet, only the living remained. The defenders collected their injured and returned to the safety of their camp.

Tyvon's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed in a heap to the ground. The reinforcements and light fountains faded away. Tyvek's barrier dissipated as he turned his attention to his brother, scooping him up and carrying him back to the healing tent.

The four followed the twin priests back to the tent. The two magic users exchanged really bad fire jokes as they went.

Within the tent was commotion as the injured were healed or bandaged and dismissed as quickly as possible.

Tyvek laid Tyvon down near the resting Spellbreaker and Sorceress. He spoke to them, "Help me cleanse this corruption; it's too much for me alone and it has weakened him to the point he's nearly exhausted himself."

The Trio spent a good twenty minutes cleansing the corruption disabling Tyvon.

Tyvon awoke and looked around with confusion then hastily rose from the ground and bolted outside and promptly lost his rations all over the ground. Eeew. "Ugh shadow magic, so nauseating." He stumbled back into the tent and went to work healing others.

A leather clad young female elf with black hair tied in a ponytail slipped into the tent, she had a scroll of paper clutched in her hand. She approached the Spellbreaker, "Commander, I bring news from Lor'themar Theron."

The Spellbreaker held out his hand, once handed the scroll he examined its contents then returned it to the runner. "Thank you. I will spread this news. You are dismissed." The Spellbreaker spoke loudly, addressing the room, "My friends! News has just reached us that Prince Kael'thas lives and has returned to Quel'thalas. Soon we will unite with other survivor camps, drive out the Undead, and take back our rightful homes! He omitted the fact that Sylvannas had been slain."

The healers paused and talked among themselves.

The Spellbreaker continued, "In a few days the Prince will return from surveying the damage to the Sunwell and will be visiting each of the camps. We must prepare. Every able bodied elf here needs to help clean and make this sorry excuse for a camp presentable to a Prince."


	6. Chapter 6: Visitation

Dani should turn priest-slapping into an athletic sport.

**Chapter 6: Visitation**

Two days later every able bodied man, woman, and child cleaned up the camp built around the ruins of the village. Fabric was recovered from the city and tents were reworked to look more suitable and visually appealing to the camp's occupants. The walls of the damaged village's buildings were under repair. The makeshift walls defending the camp were struck and rebuilt bit by bit, making the camp look more respectable and serious.

The Spellbreaker surveyed the camp, drinking water from a mug. His eyes weren't as sunken in as before, his hair was combed and from the smell of him it seemed he finally got that bath. He barked orders at people. Oh yes, his camp had to be perfect, well, as perfect as possible with limited preparation time. He didn't want to disappoint the Prince with a sad pathetic little camp.

Zan was separated from his priests and sat out in the sun with a hammer and some nails, rebuilding the frame of a damaged building. Unhappy, he glared at the barking Spellbreaker as he walked past, not watching his aim as he hammered.

Zan yelped as he hammered his fingers. He lost grip of the hammer and it landed on his foot. He yelped again.

The other elves working on the building gave Zan a look as if he were a giant idiot as he hopped up and down on his non-injured foot.

He caught some of the glances and with drooped ears decided it was a good time to retreat and bolted to the command and medical tent.

The defenders had just driven off another undead attack and the defenders were being examined and healed. Leiah and Dalaen stood near the doorway as Youlie and Iviaen got minor wounds patched up.

Tyan and Miastal sat in extreme focus as they healed a badly injured defender.

Leiah glared at Zan as he entered the room, "This is a bad time for visitation. Why don't you go get back to work?"

Zan let out an exasperated sigh and showed Leiah the impact point of the hammer on his hand. His fingers were already swollen, stiff and turning purple.

"Brother, you are quite possibly the biggest idiot on all of Azeroth. I just wanted to let you know." Leiah crossed her arms, "Sit down, no healers are available at the moment."

Zan lowered himself to the ground and rubbed his wounded foot with his non-injured hand.

The ground beneath the camp rumbled and everyone felt a sudden jolt of malaise. Some, those who relied most heavily on magic, were affected more than others.

Iviaen's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell forward, landing on the dazed healer that was finishing tending to his wounds. Dalaen fell to the floor and vomited, gross. Leiah leaned back, dizzy, instead of finding a wall for support she found a curtain and fell through it onto the dizzy Spellbreaker who had just come in for a rest. Zan was dazed as were most of the other priestlings.

A death rattle emitted from Tyan and Mia's patient as well as several others. By the time the priests gathered their composure it was too late to revive the dead.

The most elderly, the sickly, and a new born infant also perished in the wave of unwellness that hit the camp. People started to panic. Was this some new scourge weapon? Were they going to all come down with a plague?

Mia's eyes glazed over and he started talking to himself and narrating the situation, "And then, just like that, he died. He just died in some sort of mass illness that hit everyone. It hit us so hard we had to stop healing. He died instantly. You couldn't have done anything about it, Mia. It's not your fault, Mia. But. But if we had healed him faster he could have lived. No. You had no way of knowing, you were working at the right pace. It's not. Sometimes they just don't make it. Not your fault. Not your fault." His prattle turned into soft incoherent babble and muffled sobs. He pulled a blanket over the dead's face and began to rock himself.

Tyan completely still. Frozen in terror. This was his first time losing someone he was healing. His eyes were wide and he lost what little color he had in his skin. His mind wandered in the opposite direction of his brother's. Instead of delirious self-assurance, he was consumed in self-blame. Tyan got to his feet and stumbled over to where Leiah fell.

Leiah had climbed off of the Spellbreaker and was busy giving him a profuse apology. Dalaen was cleaning up his lunch.

Tyan spoke to Leiah, tearing up, "I can't do this anymore. Take me back to the cave please." He was bad at everything, he couldn't keep anyone alive.

Dalaen looked up at the sulking priest and with a gesture of his hand forced the priest to sitting on the floor between himself and Zan. He spoke, "Priest. Iviaen is still out. Help Zan while we wait for him to awaken." He wasn't going to let that sniveling excuse for a priest sit there and wallow in self-pity when there was work to be done.

Tyan looked to Zan and frowned at his purple fingers. "I'm sorry, friend. I can't heal you. I'm no good at it. I'll just hurt you more. Maybe someone else will heal you."

Zan held his hand out to Tyan. "You're my friend and you're a fine healer. I've seen you work, my priest, and I would be honored to have you heal me."

Tyan started to object, "But I'll only make you worse, I'm terrible at this stuff. I-"

Dalaen shot Tyan a glare, "Do it, priest."

Tyan rested one palm on each side of Zan's wounded hand, bowed his head, closed his eyes and muttered a few power words but they were of no avail. There was no golden light and no healing. After several minutes of nothing Tyan burst into full blown sobs about how he couldn't.

About this time Danil finished patching up Youlie then got up and walked over to a chest near the group. Danil retrieved a small bottle, went to Iviaen's side, opened it, and stuck it under his nose.

Iviaen took a deep whiff of the contents of the bottle and soon enough snapped awake with an expression on his face as he has just smelled something incredibly foul.

Dalaen spoke to Iviaen from across the room, pleadingly, "Portal us to home."

Iviaen strained a moment before he got the spell rolling and the portal opened. He mumbled under his breath about feeling strange then hopped into the portal.

Danil walked past Mia, giving the babbling priestling a good slap upside the head and snapping him back to reality. He then grabbed his uncle, Tyan, and dragged him through the portal, grabbing Mia along the way.

The rest of the group followed but this was the first time that Mia and Danil would stay with the others instead of at the camp, but not the last.

Danil tasked Mia with healing the wounded Zan and tackled the wounded ego of Tyan himself. He shook the older priest, "Get ahold of yourself."

Tyan sobbed and babbled about the light abandoning him and being a failure, completely drowned in his own self-pity, again, but this time worse than usual.

Danil squeezed Tyan's arms tightly, enough to cause him pain, "Uncle, look at me. Listen."

"That hurts. Let me go." Tyan whined between sobs.

"Look at me. Listen. Just a few minutes. Deep breaths." Danil was getting rather cross.

Danil's attempts to get Tyan's attention had failed so he tried a different method. Danil yelled at the top of his lungs, "THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Tyan's eyes widened at the yell, giving Danil his attention, and he wasn't the only one, every person in the cave stared at him.

"Look. The light hasn't abandoned you, uncle. You're just so upset and so unfocused you aren't able to channel it. Until you calm the hell down and stop being so defeatist you won't be able to, okay?" Danil gripped Tyan, giving him lecture. It felt awkward telling someone much older than him to, in essence, grow up.

Tyan nodded, slumping back to his self-pity again.

"So get it out of your system, get some sleep, and face tomorrow with a better attitude, okay? It wasn't your fault. Okay?" Danil continued his lecture.

Tyan gave another nod, he wasn't convinced.

Danil was as satisfied as he would get with the situation, "Good, then go lie down, get it out of your system, and feel better tomorrow."

The next day was the day Prince Kael'thas came to the camp. He had much to say. He announced Lor'themar Theron as the new ranger general as the previous one had perished. He announced that their people were now called Sin'dorei, Blood Elves, his intention to take their homeland back from the scourge, and to take as many as possible to assist the Alliance in wiping the scourge from the neighboring areas.

He also explained what that horrible wave of malaise that caused the old, the young, and the sick to perish was. The Sunwell had been corrupted and was poisoning their people and the land. It was destroyed.

Most importantly, Prince Kael'thas gave his people hope. Hope that they would recover, get their homeland back, and remain a civilization.

In the weeks that followed, the people of the camp, along with the populations from other holdouts began to organize bit by bit and take their home back. Groups of the Sin'dorei, or blood elves, attacked strategic points and destroyed scourge strongholds, systematically flushing a reasonable amount of the region.

Leiah found that her family home was in good shape, so the group relocated there from the cave, the Sunbrands, the Pyranors, the Snowdawns, and the two casters; together they all became a rather busy and strange household.

Life returned to some semblance of normality, Leiah, Youlie, and Danil rejoined their respective groups within the Farstriders, Iviaen and Dalaen joined up with other casters in the Magisters, the priests returned to their order. The only not terribly normal thing the elves had to deal with was the remaining undead that needed to be dealt with, but such is life.

Blood Elf society as a whole became more hedonistic, people let go of the old ways. This was partially to cope with the addiction to magic they had unknowingly developed living under the effect of the Sunwell for centuries, but also that they had come close to extinction. Their rigid society was somewhat abandoned in favor of one that indulged in actually living a little.


	7. Chapter 7: The Ranger

**Chapter 7: The Ranger**

Zan arrived at a pond not far from the front gates of the city, backpack on his back, remaining alert and dodging the occasional wandering undead. He noticed a black haired male elf with a bow and quiver strapped to his back crouching by the water's edge, drinking.

Comforted by the presence of someone actually capable of defending him, he knelt down beside the ranger and began to fill a waterskin. He greeted the ranger, "Hello there."

The ranger gasped, startled at Zan's sudden presence, inhaling some of the water he was drinking. He coughed the water up then bolted away from Zan, up a tree, and perched high in the branches, bow drawn and arrow aimed at the ginger.

Zan peered up at him, more than just a bit baffled at the reaction, "Hey, I'm just here to get some water. I'm no threat."

The ranger didn't respond or even move, he just sat perfectly still, ready to shoot.

Zan just stared at the ranger for a while then turned back to the lake and filled waterskins. He half expected to be shot for taking the water but filled his pack with the skins without incident. He rose to his feet and stared at the ranger who remained unmoved from before.

"Bye." Zan waved at the ranger and left, shaking his head at the bizarre encounter.

The next day, Zan returned to the watering hole and looked up. Ranger was still in the tree, but was unaware of his presence. Zan waved at the ranger and called up to him, "Good morning friend. How is the water today?"

The ranger visibly jumped then drew his bow and aimed at Zan. He stared blankly at the elf below.

Zan shook his head again as he realized something was very wrong with this ranger; still he kept pleasant, "Is that so? Well alright." He filled his waterskins and waved goodbye to the seemingly paranoid ranger.

The ranger remained still and defensive atop the tree.

This ordeal went on for several more days, Zan arrived, greeted the ranger, had the bow pointed at him, gathered water and left. He wasn't afraid; he figured if the ranger was intent on shooting him, he would have already been shot.

After the first week Zan arrived at the watering hole with a cloth-wrapped package alongside his pack of skins, he waved, "Good morning, ranger."

The ranger, having been alerted to Zan's presence assumed his usual defensive position.

Zan set his pack down and held up the package, "I brought you a gift." Zan had a plan; perhaps he could give the ranger gifts and earn his trust.

The ranger stared blankly, keeping his aim on Zan.

Zan knelt down and opened the package. It contained food. Zan took a piece of bread and broke a chunk off. He ate the chunk to show the ranger the food was safe, "Food. You should come down and get some. I won't hurt you. In fact, I am going to go over here and fill these now." Zan turned his back to the ranger and filled the waterskins.

The ranger put the arrow back in his quiver and strapped the bow back onto his back, snapping it in place, and then hopped down the tree and to the ground. He landed in a crouch.

Zan ignored the ranger and focused on filling the waterskins. He figured the ranger would be more willing to come down if he behaved as unthreateningly as possible.

The ranger approached the cloth package, remaining crouched low to the ground. He grabbed some of the food and stuck it in a small belt pouch then began to eat what wasn't pocketed.

Zan packed up his pack then turned to face the eating ranger. He sat and made his hands visible by resting them on his lap; he did this slowly. No sudden movements, they might frighten the ranger.

The ranger tensed visibly as Zan faced him. He continued to eat but kept a suspicious eye on the ginger.

Zan forced a smile, "You're pretty hungry aren't you?" He closely examined the ranger. The ranger wore uniform clothing typical of a full-fledged ranger but not the mail armor that usually goes over it. His uniform was ripped in several places and Zan could see bandages tinted brown from dried blood through the holes in the uniform. He visibly frowned, "Are you hurt?"

The ranger finished eating and stared blankly at Zan for about a moment before bolting back up the tree.

Zan collected the cloth that the food was wrapped in, grabbed his pack and returned home. He was satisfied; he wasn't expecting so much progress on the first feeding.

A week later, in the evening, Zan sat down at the table after serving supper to everyone, "So I have found a peculiar individual."

Tyan glanced at Zan, "Oh?"

Leiah sighed, "Do I need to get another chair from the closet?"

"There's this ranger out where I collet water. Something is really wrong with him." Zan elaborated.

"Maybe he has the plague?" Dalaen didn't bother to even look up from his food.

Tyvek put his hand up to his head and shot a cold glance at Dalaen, "If he isn't a wandering mindless corpse by now he probably isn't infected."

"How is there something wrong with him?" Iviaen curiously peered at Zan, breaking a dinner roll.

"He's living up a tree. He's scared of me, like, aims his bow and arrow at me. He thinks I'm a threat or something." Zan bowed his head, he was prepared for mockery.

Youlie began to laugh, "Frightened, of you? You are one of the least threatening elves on all of Azeroth."

Zan's ears drooped, "I have been bringing him food for about a week. He comes down and takes it. What gets me is he looks to be injured and half starving. He is so hungry that eating seems more important to him than threatening to shoot me."

Tyan frowned; hearing about injured and starving people wasn't high among his favorite subjects. He spoke, "I should go with you tomorrow. Maybe we can get him to trust us both enough to come down and get healed."

"I'm coming too. I can get him down and keep him down so you can do your thing." Dalaen added, figuring he could use a bit of his dark arts to get the paranoid ranger under control, or at least get amusement by antagonizing him.

"I don't think using force is a good idea." Zan glared at Dalaen, he had a good idea of what was going on in Dalaen's head.

"I'm going." Dalaen told Zan how it is, he was hell-bent on it, especially after Zan recommended against it. Zan just sighed.

The next day Zan arrived at the watering hole with Tyan and Dalaen. Tyan carried the bag of food.

The ranger stared down at them from the top of the tree, aiming at them with his weapon.

"These are my friends." Zan said to the others as he pointed up at the ranger. He then addressed the ranger, "We brought you more food."

Dalaen began to cast a spell of binding, dark energy dancing on his fingertips. The ranger, however, wouldn't have it and let an arrow fly. It hit Dalaen in the upper leg, about six inches above the center of the kneecap.

Dalaen yelped. He hadn't expected the ranger to actually be willing to shoot, "Ow! You motherfucker! That hurts." He sat down and began to pull the arrow out, quickly being reduced to tears.

"I warned you." Zan shook his head at Dalaen and fought back a smirk, it served him right.

Tyan set the cloth-wrapped food package on the ground, he ignored the warlock whom he felt deserved to writhe in pain for a while, "My name is Tyan and I can heal you if you need. Here's some food, leftovers from last night. We even heated some of it for you."

Dalaen sat down and glared at Tyan, wondering why the priest hadn't gotten to healing him yet, "Shut up and heal me, priest."

Tyan sighed and rolled his eyes. He moved to Dalaen's side and kneelt then ripped the arrow out of Dalaen's leg with little regard for additional pain he might cause and began to heal the wound. Removal of the arrow caused Dalaen to make even more pathetic noises and tears.

Zan collected the food package and moved it closer to the ranger's tree then went to the water's edge and went about filling the waterskins.

The ranger hesitated then hopped down and hastily opened the cloth wrapped package. Within it he found a roll of fresh bandages, a large mason jar, warm to the touch, filled with meat in some form broth and vegetables, a few bread rolls, a hunk of cheese, a spoon, and even some rice-paper wrapped caramel sweets. The ranger pocketed the sweets, most of the bread and the cheese then popped open the jar and worked on consuming the warm contents.

Dalaen watched the ranger eat as Tyan healed him; he shot the ranger a hateful glare as he dried his tears. He was much like a child getting stung by a bee for the first time, shocked and betrayed. How could it do that?

The ranger watched Tyan heal and glared suspiciously back at Dalaen as he ate.

Dalaen let out a sigh and wiped the look off his face. "Why don't you come with us? There is a lot more where that came from." Dalaen spoke to the ranger.

The ranger just ate and scowled.

"We have lots of food and shelter and it's just as safe as the tree. In fact, it's safer." Dalaen continued.

Tyan finished healing Dalaen and turned to the ranger, reiterating his offer from before, "I can heal your wounds if you would like."

The ranger visibly tensed and moved a few feet back towards he tree, jar still in hands. He resumed eating and glaring.

Zan finished gathering water and walked over to Tyan and Dalaen, "I told you he was peculiar."

"More like lost his damn mind and turned into some wild feral thing." Dalaen crossed his arms, he considered putting the mad ranger down, but realized he probably wasn't in the shape to do so at the moment.

The ranger finished the food in the jar, moved back to the cloth, crouched and set the jar on the cloth. He then drew his bow and arrow, pointing it at Dalaen.

"Hey. I'm not doing anything!" Dalaen showed the ranger his hands; surely the ranger couldn't read his thoughts. Dalaen realized the ranger would have likely already killed him if he could.

The ranger moved closer to Dalaen, bow still drawn, moving in a hunched over semi-crouch, now at point-blank range.

Dalaen stared at him, when the ranger got close to him, Dalaen got to his feet and ran back home. He wasn't going to die, not today!

After Dalaen departed the ranger visibly relaxed. By this point he was crouched between the sitting Tyan and standing Zan. He set his bow and arrow on the ground then flopped onto his rear, giving Tyan a curious look.

Tyan peered at the ranger then pointed to himself. He opted to address the ranger using very simple and short speech, "Friend. Tyan." He then pointed to Zan, "Zan."

Zan smiled at the ranger, surprised to be in such close proximity without being threatened or shot at.

The ranger rolled up his right sleeve, showing Tyan his arm wrapped in blood soaked bandages.

Tyan looked at the arm then cautiously rested his hands on it, half-expecting the ranger to pull away.

The ranger remained very still and gave Tyan that blank stare.

Zan moved beside Tyan and sat down.

Tyan carefully removed the bandages. The ranger's arm and hand were covered in gashes and scrapes, nothing fatal but some wounds were the type that would require magic mending or at least stitches. Most were inflicted from moving carelessly through brush, branches, thorns, things like that. Some were infected. Tyan took a deep breath and began to work the wounds.

The ranger remained still, moving his blank stare between Tyan and Zan. After his arms were healed the ranger removed his uniform shirt, allowing Tyan to continue healing.

The ranger wore a silvery chain necklace with a metal plate attached to it. This caught Zan's eye and he slowly reached for it.

The ranger turned his attention to Zan and tensed, making eye contact with an intense glare. If looks could kill the ginger would be one very dead elf.

"Easy there. I just want to look at this thing you're wearing." Zan explained himself. He grew nervous that he might be angering the ranger.

The ranger stopped glaring but still stared at him then pushed Zan's hand away. He removed the neckpiece himself and handed it to Zan.

Zan examined the plate. It had a name and military rank engraved. Zan read the name aloud, "Kemnebi Sunrunner."

The ranger nodded then snatched the necklace from Zan's hands and put it back on.

"Listen Kem, if you ever want to get some better shelter you are welcome to stay with us. But I'll keep bringing you food until you're ready to trust us." Zan told the ranger. Kem just stared blankly at him.

After Tyan finished healing Kem, the ranger put on his shirt, gathered his bow, arrows, the fresh bandages, and bolted right back up the tree.

Once at his perching point he stared at the two below but did not draw his bow.

Tyan got to his feet, a bit irritated at not getting a thank you or even a nod, "Well, that was interesting."

"That was progress." Zan picked up the pack and put it on, "He actually let you touch him."

The two walked off, talking about Dalaen getting exactly what he deserved and laughing about it.

Daily for weeks Zan brought Kem food. As time went on Kem became more comfortable in close proximity and would sit on the grass waiting for Zan. When it began to snow Zan brought extra clothing and blankets for the ranger.

One day Zan did not appear around the usual time. Kem remained waiting for him until sundown before returning to his tree. The next day when Zan failed to appear the ranger collected his blankets and went into the city. He had tracked down where Zan lived early on.

Kem climbed a nearby tree, got on a narrow ledge, and walked along it then hopped onto the balcony. The door was unlocked and he let himself in. The ranger dropped his blankets on the floor and took off the extra clothing before he continued exploring.

Kemnebi crept around the home, finding Zan's room with occupied bed. He fully investigated the rest home to see who else was there.

No one was. He then moved into Zan's room and leapt onto the bed, crouching over the curled up Zan. He reached down and put a hand on Zan's shoulder.

Zan opened his eyes and looked at Kemnebi. He gasped startled by the sudden appearance of a stranger crouched over him in his bed. After a moment he realized who was sitting there and smiled weakly, "Hi Kem." He looked around, "I must have missed feeding you, I'm sorry."

Kemnebi closed his eyes, shook his head no, shrugged then got off of Zan, allowing him to sit up.

Zan got out of bed and headed down to the kitchen to fix some food for the hungry ranger, he felt bad, as if he'd been irresponsible.

Kemnebi followed him and crouched down on the table and watched Zan work with that blank look on his face.

Zan glanced at Kemnebi on the table and opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He instead set two plates full of breakfast type foods on the table, one in front of Kemnebi and one in front of a chair; he placed a pitcher of juice and glasses on the table. Zan then provided utensils and sat down. He filled the glasses with juice, slid one to the ranger, and then ate in silence.

After eating, Kemnebi returned to staring at Zan, still crouched on the table.

Zan looked at him, "They took my priest. They took everyone while I was out feeding you. Leiah left a letter saying they were going with Prince Kael'thas to help The Alliance. I'm all alone now."

Kemnebi frowned and shook his head no then put his right hand to his chest.

Zan watched the ranger, "Well yeah, I guess you're here? But I'm not good at hunting or anything like that so I will probably run out of things to feed you... or me."

The ranger flexed his arms then pulled his bow from his back and pointed at it.

Zan forced a smile, he realized the ranger was trying to make him feel better; "Let me guess, you're good at that type of thing?"

Kem nodded with enthusiasm.

"Then you're planning on staying here?" Zan asked, hoping for a positive response. The Snowdawns had left not long before everyone else did to join some group called the Argent Dawn. Then everyone else left for The Alliance. Being alone for moths would not be enjoyable.

Kem nodded again.

Zan got to his feet, "Alright. There's a vacant room you can stay in. But if you're going to stay I have a request."

Kemnebi tilted his head, giving an inquisitive look.

"No more squatting on the kitchen table." Zan cracked a slight grin.

The ranger blinked and looked down. He put his face in his right palm and hopped off the table then wiped the dirt from where he was standing to the floor.

Zan laughed, "It's no big deal, come on."

In the days that followed Zan spent his time crafting amulets and rings to be enchanted and sold. Kemnebi brought home various animals he had killed along with eggs and bits off grain. As Kemnebi observed Zan's metalworking he began to bring Zan ore to prospect and use for crafting and bartering.

Several weeks went by, the one evening a stranger knocked on the house's door. It was after sundown and Zan had closed the shop for the night.

The knocking sent Kem running up to the second level. He crouched on the railing with his bow drawn and aimed on the door as Zan opened it.

It was a courier. The courier spoke, "I have a message for a Tyan Sunbrand. Is this the correct residence?"

Zan nodded, "Tyan is off helping Prince Kael'thas and the Alliance. I can take the message for him."

The courier nodded and handed Zan the rolled up pieces of paper, "Tell him we're sorry for his loss." He then took his leave.

Zan shut the front door and opened the roll of papers. Inside were two letters, form letters, notifying the recipient of the deaths of Tyvek and Tyvon Snowdawn.

Zan rolled the notes up and stashed them in a drawer to forget about them and wandered to bed, physically ill by the news.

Life returned to normal for Zan in a few days, mostly thanks to Kemnebi's ceaseless pestering. The ranger would not allow Zan to be idle for very long. He found a way to distract Zan, getting him a hobby.

Kemnebi began to use Zan's tools during crafting-time to make wires, bolts, gears and screws. He eventually presented Zan with a clockwork critter. Kem had apparently been trained in such arts and Zan became interested in Kem's tinkering. He began to tinker as well, engineering held Zan's interest.

For someone who never talked and rarely made eye-contact, Kem was actually decent company and Zan probably wouldn't have made it through that time alone.


	8. Chapter 8: The Return

**Chapter 8: The Return**

After several months the others returned home, everyone but Tyan. They found Kemnebi crouched on the guard railing of the second floor, bow ready to fire, aiming right at them as they came in the door.

Dalaen's eyes widened at the sight of Kemnebi. He remembered being shot in the leg and terror overtook him. "No! Don't shoot. Not again!" He bolted behind Iviaen, using the mage as a living shield.

Iviaen looked up at Kem and raised a brow; he had never seen his shadow-wielding friend react quite so ungracefully to anything. He cracked an amused grin.

Youlie crossed her arms, displeased at the sight of the rail-squatting ranger, "Oh great. We seem to have collected a crazy."

"Hey, you must be Mister Sits In A Tree." Miastal gave the alarmed ranger a half-grin.

Danil rested his face in his palms, "That's not his name, Mia."

Leiah looked up at Kem, her shield was out and in a defensive position. "I remember Zan said your name was Kemnebi. Kem, have you been watching over my little brother?"

The ranger nodded and hopped down onto the counter, landing in a crouch.

Leiah determined the situation was no-longer a threat and put her shield away, "I take it he's not home?"

Kemnebi nodded again then brought his hand to his mouth and pantomimed lifting food to it repeatedly.

Leiah laughed, "Gone to get food. Well this is going to be quite the surprise for him isn't it? Alright everyone, go ahead and get settled."

Dalaen bolted upstairs, putting as much distance between himself and Kemnebi as he could, everyone else headed up without nearly as much energy.

An hour later Zan returned with arms full of groceries. He stepped in the door and dropped them when he saw Leiah sitting on the counter. Kemnebi perched above on the second floor railing again.

Leiah greeted him with a forced smile, "Hey little brother. Need some help?"

Zan frowned then went about collecting groceries, "You're back. I. I. I think I'm going to have to go buy more food."

Leiah crouched down and helped him get the goods into the kitchen, she struggled to keep cheerful. "Zan, I need you to have a seat."

Zan loaded the groceries into the pantry, "In a minute."

"No. Now. It's important." Leiah huffed; her face grew solemn and serious. This was not going to be a happy exchange.

Zan took a seat, as he stared at Leiah he caught her facial expression and his ears drooped. He got that sinking feeling as he asked, "What is it?"

"Zan, your priest friend. He didn't make it." Leiah frowned and bowed her head.

"What do you mean, didn't make it?" Zan began to frown as well, his heart sank. He knew what was coming next but he didn't want to believe it.

Leiah let out a sigh. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you this. He's dead, Zan."

Zan wore a blank expression on his face as he got to his feet and wandered from the kitchen to his room without another word. He lay down in bed, sobbing again. Kemnebi slipped in the room and closed the door behind him and sat crouched in Zan's chair, watching with a frown.

Zan sobbed and spoke so Kemnebi could hear him, "He was my friend. I didn't even get to say goodbye. It's not fair."

Iviaen came to him a few hours later. "Zan."

Zan mumbled, numb, "My friend is dead, I know."

"He got caught off-guard when we were helping handle a captured creature called a Naaru. It is a strange creature made of pure light or something. It took him and up into itself then threw his body from it. The medics took him away on a stretcher. When we asked later on about his status they told us he expired shortly after arriving at the healers. He died honorably in the line of duty." Iviaen explained, he knew no matter what he said it would not improve Zan's mood but it might give him closure in the long run.

"I don't care if he died honorably. It's still not fair." Zan sat up and rubbed the tears from his eyes, "Where is his body? He needs a proper burial with his ancestors in Suncrown Village. He deserves that much."

"I'm sure he got one." Iviaen frowned, "I don't think they would just dump his body without respects."

"I need to know. I'll go find out myself." Zan grew angry, clenching a fist, "And I'll give some of those who carelessly let him meet his end a piece of my mind."

Kemnebi hopped onto Zan's bed, looking concerned, and shook his head. He raised his eyebrows and then held up seven fingers then pointed to himself.

"Seven. You?" Zan looked at Kem, furrowing his brows at the ranger's attempt at communication.

Kemnebi made a V with his index and middle finger, pointed one to each eye then pulled his hand away, drawing lines from his eyes.

Zan responded with the word, "Look. You're going to go find my priest for seven something."

Kemnebi nodded with enthusiasm then bolted out of Zan's door and out of the house.

Iviaen shook his head, "He's a weird one. Regardless, I think it is best that you let those not so upset handle this. You're probably more than a little irrational in your current state."

"I'm perfectly rational. I'm just sad that my best friend is dead and I never even got to tell him goodbye." Zan got out of bed and tugged his vest down to straighten it, "So this Naaru thing. Is it here in town?"

"Yes, it is. You aren't planning on trying to get revenge, are you?" Iviaen asked, moving to stand between Zan and the door.

"Maybe." Zan answered, he stood up straight, held his head high and clenched a fist.

Iviaen put his face in his palm, "You will fail and get yourself killed if you try." He pondered, "But other things involving the creature may be of interest to you. There is a building across from the ranger shooting range in Farstriders' Square. It's in the basement there. They are using it to make Blood Knights, paladins, using the power from the creature. Maybe you should go see if they will infuse you with the light. It could be your calling. You can heal people in honor of Tyan's memory. I think he would have liked that."

Zan sighed and considered the possibility of honoring his priest in that way, "Yeah. You're right. I'm going to go look into it; maybe I can become a healer of some sort and be useful for once in my life."

Iviaen gave Zan a worried look, "Don't do anything stupid."

Zan walked out of the room, "I won't." He grabbed one of Leiah's weapons from her room on the way out, revenge still on his mind.

Meanwhile, Kemnebi slipped into the Farstrider's building, into a room with bookshelves, a large table, and a desk. It was empty.

Kem investigated books on the bookshelves and found the ones he was interested in on the desk in the back of the room. He probably wasn't supposed to be getting into military records and he knew it so he crouched down and pulled two books from one of the bottom shelves and swapped them with the ones from the desk.

He sat down on the desk and started hunting information.

Several elves made their way into the room and seated themselves at the table. Halduron Brightwing sat down at the head of the table and they began a meeting.

The Farstrider leaders exchanged opinions on such issues as the teachings Rommath brought back to help their kind cope with addiction, disliking the Magisters and dislike of the newly forming Blood Knights.

Kemnebi found what he was looking for and closed the books. He reached up and swapped the books onto the desk, making sure to stay hidden. He then let out a loud hacking cough from the desk.

"What was that?" One of the Farstriders asked. The two door guards investigated and grabbed Kem then dragged him to the table.

Kem gave the folks at the table a blank stare.

One of the senior Farstriders gave Kemnebi a funny look, "Who's that?"

Another, one that Kem recognized as having been in his group, responded, "That's Kemnebi Sunrunner. He's was a newly full-fledged member before the fall."

The first Farstrider asked, "Never seen him before. Did he not go with the rest of us?"

"He wasn't accounted for until after the forces left. That and he seems to be a bit sick in the head during the attack, he doesn't talk at all. He barely talked to begin with." The second Farstrider answered.

"Then why are you allowing him to run freely around the city?" The first one grew angered.

The second Farstrider sighed, "He's still a decent shot, runs letters when I ask him and can handle light undead cleanup. He's still a good kid. He doesn't seem to talk, so he never talks back and probably won't go telling our enemies our whereabouts. If he wants to read things just let him be."

A third Farstrider opened up another book from the desk, "The order's records state that he had late speech development. He probably just stopped talking all-togeather."

Halduron Brightwing glanced at Kem, "I am going to assume that your whole not speaking thing means you won't be repeating what you overheard to anyone, Right?"

Kemnebi's gave the ranger general a nod, his ears were drooped and he looked very similar to a scolded child.

"Then go. If I hear anything about what we said being public I'm going to have you hunted down and executed for treason. And close the door on your way out." Halduron dismissed Kem and continued with the meeting.

The guards holding Kem let him go. He stepped out and closed the door behind him then heaved a sigh of relief before bolting to the Sunfury Spire.

Meanwhile, Zan slipped into the Blood Knight headquarters and looked around, he wore his best clothing and his stolen sword sheathed in a scabbard attached to his belt. He moved to one of the senior-looking members in the room, "Excuse me. I heard you could infuse people with the light."

The Blood Knight looked at Zan, "Yes. We're recruiting suitable candidates. What are your qualifications?"

Zan looked around, looking for this Naaru thing, he remembered Iviaen's idea and said, "I want to wield the light so I can help people in the memory of a fallen friend who died in that outlands place."

The Blood Knight rolled his eyes, "That's nice, but those aren't qualifications. Can you swing a sword? Have you ever wielded the light?"

Zan looked down the rail-surrounded hole in the floor, seeing the Naaru. He answered the Blood Knight again, "Yeah. I can use a sword a little and I did initiate training to become a priest but I didn't get far with either."

The Blood Knight shook his head, "We're not interested in pure novices at this time. Thank you for your interest. You may leave now."

Zan hopped up onto the railing and drew the sword, "That's ok; I don't think I was actually that interested anyways." He then jumped down, trying to slash the Naaru, M'uru.

The Naaru's energy surged and it broke free of the magisters' control. It then engulfed Zan in a bright light.


	9. Chapter 9: Jailbreak

**Chapter 9: Jailbreak**

Kemnebi slipped into shadows, slipped into the spire and down a flight of stairs to a dungeon. At the right moment he moved unnoticed into the area with cells. He lurked around, dodging guards and reading packs of notes outside of each cell.

He turned a corner and jumped to find an important looking mage standing outside an open cell. He ducked around the corner, invoking his camouflage again.

The mage spoke, "Is he still alive?"

"I think so. He's still hot to the touch so I can't tell for sure." Another voice answered, "Why we don't just put him down if he's so dangerous? If he wakes up he'll probably destroy these chains like they were made of parchment."

The mage sighed, "Because, you idiot, he makes a good alternative source to drawing on fel-magic."

The other voice walked out of the cell and shut the door, it was a guard. "Anything else you need, oh Archmage?"

"No." The archmage left the dungeon. The guard followed him out, and the stealthed Kem slipped out of the spire on the heels of the archmage before bolting back to home.

Zan awoke engulfed in light, unable to see anything but the glow, his mind was blank and full of confusion. Was he dead?

A voice chimed in his head, "What do you want, little elf?"

Zan looked around in his confusion, as the voice spoke his situation became clear. He was in the grips of the Naaru. He growled, "You killed my friend. I want revenge."

After a few minutes of silence the Naaru responded, "Your little friend isn't dead. He's broken but not dead. What do you want, little elf?"

"Then let me go so I can find my friend." Zan flailed wildly but seemed unable to escape the light holding him up.

"Your friend is but a living husk of his former self, in that way he is broken. What do you want, little elf?" The Naaru continued to ask.

Zan growled, irritated at the repetitive question. "Then help me make him not broken!"

"Very well." The Naaru answered. Strange light patterns skittered along Zan's skin, painfully burning themselves in. He let out a yelp before everything went black with two final words ringing in his head, "Go home."

Kemnebi walked in the door to home and wandered over to Iviaen. The ranger grabbed the mage's arm and gave it a tug.

"Have you found something?" The mage asked, he examined Kem's face, looking for a response.

Kemnebi nodded and dragged Iviaen over to Youlie. He reached down and tried to grab Youlie's hand and drag her too but she yanked it away.

"What do you think you're doing, bow boy?" Youlie shot him a hate glare. The cycloptic rogue didn't like the ranger, or anyone, very much.

Kemnebi stood up straight and gave Youlie a fairly cocky look. His chest was puffed, chin in the air, eyes half-lidded staring down at her, head slightly tilted.

"I think he found something regarding our fallen comrade for your brother. He seems to want our assistance." Iviaen explained to her.

Kemnebi nodded rapidly then gave another tug on Iviaen's arm.

Youlie rolled an eye, "Fine, I'll help you but don't you dare fucking touch me or I'll cut off your thumbs."

Kemnebi turned and stormed out, dragging Iviaen with him. Youlie bolted after.

Kemnebi led the others back to the Sunfury Spire then blended into the shadows. Youlie blinked as it became clear why she was approached and stealthed as well. Iviaen muttered a spell of invisibility and Kemnebi led them back to the dungeon where he had found Tyan. He pointed at the label on a small wooden cubby of papers beside the door.

Youlie examined the label and growled, "Those bastards lied to us." She reached into a pocket and produced her lock picking tools and began to pick the lock.

Iviaen snatched up the paperwork and began to read it. As he read his face turned from angry to worried, "Guys, this isn't safe. It says he's pretty much a living source of light magic, devoid of consciousness or sentience. He's dead in that the real him has been fried out of him and replaced with light."

Youlie popped the door open, "Maybe we can fix him." She removed the heavy blanket that was covering him, noticing that he was radiating not only heat but light as well. She covered him back up to keep them from being noticed.

Iviaen slipped the papers in his robes and began to channel a portal spell, "And if we can't?"

Kemnebi slipped into the cell, closing the door behind them.

"Then we put him down ourselves. Being like that is no way to live." Youlie began to pick the locks on Tyan's shackles. After a minute she pulled away, "God damn he's hot. It's burning me to even get close."

Kemnebi pulled a screwdriver from a pouch and began to unscrew the screws holding the metal ring Tyan's bonds were chained to from the ground. He held up the metal ring with a smile.

Youlie tucked her tools away; she was surprised at the common-sense solution, "Huh. You're actually pretty smart, bow boy."

Iviaen cast a spell of ice, encasing his hands, arm, and chest then scooped Tyan up. Steam rose up from where the priest touced him. He headed through the portal leading back home. The others followed.

On the other side, Iviaen set Tyan down on the marble floor then melted the ice off himself. Iviaen called out, "Hey Warlock. I need your expertise!"

Dalaen looked down from the upper level and noticed Tyan lying on the floor. He turned and spoke to Mia, "Your brother is alive." He strolled down.

Miastal came rushing down, he dragged the irritated Danil with him.

Leiah strolled in from the kitchen, a roll filled with meat and cheese in her hands.

Youlie shook her head, "Good news is he's not dead... physically. Bad news is, they think he is dead mentally. Good news is we could shove him in the heater and he'll keep the whole place warm, we won't have to burn any more wood."

Miastal glared at the one-eyed rogue, clearly not appreciating jokes made at the expense of his fallen elder brother, "That's not funny."

Dalaen cackled, "I think it's hilarious... in a tragic sort of way."

Leiah looked around, "Where's Zan?"

"He went to see if he could join the Blood Knights." Iviaen said. He began to cast an ice spell; he created a slab of ice under Tyan, and lifted him off the floor some.

"You told him to go talk to our uncle, right?" Leiah asked.

"No. I just told him he could become a Paladin and heal in Tyan's memory." Iviaen explained.

"You told him about the Naaru, didn't you?" Leiah let out an exasperated sigh.

"... Yes." Iviaen's ears drooped.

"Great, little brother has probably run off and gotten himself killed. You're an idiot." Leiah waved her fist at the mage.

Across town Zan groaned and opened his eyes. He was back in the top room of the Blood Knights' building. The Knight he spoke to before along with a few others stood over him, curiously staring. He realized his hearing the voice in his head was some sort of dream.

The Blood Knight from before stared at Zan, "Well you made it through alive. You're lucky the magisters got control of that creature or you would have been dead."

"Zan, if you wanted to become a Blood Knight, you only had to ask me, not throw yourself at a Naaru to prove your bravery." An older blonde Blood Knight commented. "Now you've proven yourself to be too rash to be a candidate."

Zan sat up and looked at the older Blood Knight. His eyes went wide when he recognized the elf, "Uncle? You're alive?"

"Master Pyranor was just telling us that you're his younger sister's son." The Blood Knight from before commented.

"Yeah my Unc-I mean Master Pyranor, is alive and a Blood Knight I guess?" Zan shifted awkwardly. He examined his hands and arms, his whole body ached. His skin was red, as if he had gotten severely sunburned, not just the parts the Naaru made glow, but all of his skin.

Master Pyranor looked to the other blood knights, "You're dismissed." The others dispersed. He then asked, "I take it Leiah didn't tell you then?"

"N-no. A mage did." Zan rubbed his arms.

Master Pyranor laughed. "Well, I can't officially initiate you after what you did, but come see me when you no longer look like a lobster and I'll train you myself. I'll get you into the order officially later."

Zan stumbled to his feet, feeling faint. "Okay."

"Go on now before someone decides to lock you up and study you. And take a bath, you smell like burning." Zan's uncle shooed Zan from the Blood Knight headquarters.

Zan wandered in the direction of home. He'd turn red from the embarrassment of being in burned clothing and at people staring if he wasn't already red.

* * *

_Master Pyranor is the Paladin trainer in Orgrimmar in game._


	10. Chapter 10: Revival

_WTB Polymorph: Killergoose and Power Word: Get the Fuck Out. _

**Chapter 10: Revival**

Dalaen began draining power from Tyan. He instructed the others in the room, "Try using the technique we learned while on Draenor on him."

Danil, Miastal, and Iviaen assisted in the draining. This went on for a good five minutes. On by one they stopped, having filled themselves up on the energy to the point where they couldn't take anymore.

Iviaen used his excess energy to make more ice, trying to cool Tyan's body down.

"Well that was a waste of time" Dalaen crossed his arms, ending his own channel.

Zan slipped in the door to find everyone standing in the front room, all looking at Tyan on the floor. "Wh-Tyan you're alive."

Iviaen grabbed Zan by the shoulder; he held the ginger tightly, preventing him from getting any closer. "He's not safe to touch right now."

Youlie laughed at Zan sunburn, "You look ridiculous!"

Zan looked at Iviaen; he was visibly upset, "What?"

Iviaen handed Zan the papers, a deep frown plastered on his face, "This will explain it."

Zan looked down and read the papers.

Dalaen gave Zan an once-over look then asked, "You tried to attack the Naaru, didn't you?"

"... yeah. How did you guess, my skin?" Zan responded, flipping a page, he didn't like what he was reading; "I got accepted to the Blood Knights, sort of. They mistook it for me trying to prove myself with an act of bravery."

Youlie shook her head in disbelief, "Brother. You are an idiot. Like, the biggest idiot. King of all the idiots. No, Emperor Idiot."

Dalaen crossed his arms, "No. You stink like Naaru energy. It's pretty gross."

"Uncle said I smelled like burning." Zan commented, not acknowledging his sister' insults. He flipped to the next page in the document.

"You smell like that too." Dalaen chuckled.

Zan crouched down, looking at Tyan, "It told me he was alive but a broken husk. The paper agrees, it's like he is dead, his body is just alive."

Iviaen mouthed 'it' to himself then shook his head, disregarding the comment as crazy talk. He stopped his casting, sat down on the counter, and addressed Dalaen, "Hey Warlock, I have an idea."

Dalaen gave Iviaen a curious look, "Yes Magister?"

"You know when you used Zan to revive Tyan earlier, could you do that in reverse?" Iviaen glanced between Zan and Tyan.

"I suppose, but it might not work and Zan is not nearly in the state that Tyan was when I did it." Dalaen crossed his arms.

Iviaen yawned and gave Dalaen a glaringly obvious hint, "Warlock. I'm exhausted. If I do any more frost magic I'm going to be in that state. I'm sure you know what to do."

Zan looked up at Dalaen, "Do it."

Dalaen raised his hand, pointing towards Zan. Once again the dark energy swirled about his fingertips. He drained a majority of Zan's life essence into Iviaen.

Zan collapsed to the floor.

Iviaen went back to casting frost spells, trying to cool Tyan's body.

Dalaen grinned sadistically, "Ladies and gentlemen. I give to you one overly-energized husk, and one practically lifeless husk.

If I equalize the two we might wind up with two individuals, half-witted moronic individuals, but still individuals, who aren't husks. Maybe. Or they might die. Let's find out shall we?"

Leiah crossed her arms, "Quit fooling around and just do it."

Dalaen sat down, resting one hand on Zan's foot and one on Tyan's foot. He winced at the heat then closed his eyes and began casting, using his own body as a link between the two. He grimaced; "Damn light energy, disgusting." moved energy from Tyan to Zan and remained at it for several hours before he pulled his hands away. "I can't take it anymore!" Dalaen growled.

No one was around anymore but Leiah. Leiah stared down at the warlock, "Do you want anything? Food, drink?"

"Sure." Dalaen looked up at Leiah, "Both."

Leiah fetched Dalaen some dinner and a drink and sat the plate down on the ground beside him, "This is probably the only time I'm ever going to serve you food. You better savor it."

Dalaen ate in silence then turned his attention back to the unconscious duo. He narrowed his eyes then drew power from Tyan to replenish his own drained energy and then began to channel again.

Dalaen did this several times before the deed was done. Dalaen was unaware of the passing time, it had become night, and day, and night again before he was finally finished. He slumped forward, exhausted.

Tyan was no longer glowing and radiating heat save for some curious magical scrollwork on his skin. It was now noticeable that Tyan was wearing simple, torn clothing rather than priest robes. Zan had similar glowing markings on his skin.

Leiah stared down at Dalaen, "Are you done? Warlock?"

"Yeah." Dalaen responded.

Leiah hopped down and grabbed Zan and shoved a small metal jar under his nose, top off. Smelling salts.

Zan's eyes snapped open, "Ugh! What is that light awful smell!?" He looked around and saw Leiah and the salts, "Oh, that stuff." He looked around the room, first at Dalaen then at Tyan. "Hey. You found Tyan." He reached over and shook Tyan, "Hey wake up my priest."

When Tyan did not awaken, Leiah handed Zan the smelling salts then scooped Dalaen up and carried him up to the room he usually occupied.

Zan recalled the events before being put under. He frowned and waved the salts under Tyan's nose. "Come on, wake up, don't leave me here all alone. Please?" He pleaded.

Tyan wrinkled his nose and gagged. As he came to he raised his left hand and smacked the jar of salts out of Zan's hand, spilling the content all over Zan. He opened his eyes, "Lights damn motherfucking stinking son of a b-" He stopped when he realized he was someplace different. "Home? I'm home? How?" He looked down and noticed he had chains attached to his person, "What is this?"

Zan sighed, picked up the jar, flipped the lid closed, and wiped the excess salts from his clothes. "Welcome home, Tyan." Zan stood and then lifted Tyan up into his arms. "Those, those are a very long story. Now that you're not burning up I think Youlie can get them off of you."

Tyan wrinkled his nose and fiddled with the irons, "You smell awful. Like stink, and burning, and your skin is both red and glowing strangely at the same time."

"Ugh. I know. I need a bath. Let's get you some rest first." Zan opened the door to his room where Tyan usually sleeps and set Tyan down on the bed. "I'll get Youlie."

Zan grabbed some fresh clothing from the closet, slipped out of the room, told Youlie to get to releasing Tyan, and then sought a bath for himself.

Youlie walked in and sat down on Zan's bed. She began to fiddle with the locks on Tyan's bonds with her tools.

"So why am I wearing these? Is this some sort of sick joke?" Tyan fidgeted.

"Hold still or I'll sap you." Youlie waved a fist at the priest, picking these locks was hard enough without Tyan fidgeting around.

Tyan sat very still, not wanting to anger her while she was being helpful, "Zan said it was a long story. Explain?"

Youlie popped open one of the wrist bonds, "You got your ass handed to you by a Naaru. It turned you into a living light radiating sack of unconscious meat. They thought you were both exploitable and dangerous so they chained you up, threw you in a dungeon and did light knows what to you."

Tyan took his freshly freed arm and rubbed the back of his head, "I don't remember any of that. It's probably for the best. How did I get out?"

"The nutter ranger, the mage and I snuck in and broke you out." Youlie popped the other wrist bond and moved onto the ankles.

Tyan rubbed his wrists, "Well thank you." He sighed as he became aware of his own physical pain, "I hurt all over."

Youlie undid the ankle-restraints then reached up to get the one around Tyan's neck, "It's understandable. You've been locked up for weeks. You might have been thrashing around. I bet you're probably really really weak and hungry."

Tyan looked up at the ceiling, thinking about food for the first time since Draenor, "I... Could go for some food and a change of clothes... and probably a bath too."

Youlie finished with the iron on Tyan's neck and tossed the chains on the floor, "I'll have Zan bring you supper when he's done bathing."

"Please." Tyan bowed his head and rubbed his neck.

Youlie hopped up from the bed and wandered on out, she walked by Zan on the way out, "Tyan needs help with a bath and needs supper. Why don't you take care of that?"

Zan nodded and wandered to another room, collecting a robe that belonged to his father. His father was much taller than he was, and his clothing would likely fit Tyan. He entered the room where Tyan was, "Let me help you get to the bath room."

Tyan got to his feet and tried to walk but fell to his knees, he was physically weak and his muscles were atrophied. He made an annoyed noise as Zan helped him up and walked him to the bathing room.

"If you need anything just yell. I will be right outside." Zan said then left the room and shut the door. He sat down beside it on the floor and waited.

Tyan took an exceptionally long time. He was too stubborn to call for help and his weakness slowed him down. He noted he, too, was glowing. After Tyan was done and dressed he opened the door and slipped out. His entire body trembled but he tried to remain on his feet and keep his dignity, "A little help."

Zan got to his feet and grabbed Tyan's left arm, putting it over his shoulder, "I got you, let's go."

Tyan leaned on Zan and wobbled back to his room, using Zan as support, "I hate this." He flopped back into bed as soon as Zan got him to the bedside, "Thanks." He pulled the covers over himself then peered at Zan, "So hungry."

Zan gave the priest a nod and went to fetch food, he returned with two plates, one for himself and one for Tyan. The two ate quietly.

Meanwhile there was a pound on the door. When no one opened it, a second pounding occurred.

Youlie sprinted down the ramp from the second floor and opened the door. It was the Archmage that Kem saw in the dungeon, he was joined by several fully-armored rangers, some magisters, blood knights and spellbreakers.

The Archmage glared at the Youlie, "We believe you have something that belongs to us."

"And what's that?" Youlie asked.

"You know very well what I'm talking about." The Archmage condescendingly responded.

Leiah came out of the kitchen and walked right into the Archmage's personal space. "You lied to us about one of our own, now you come into our home and make demands."

Two of the spellbreakers pushed Leiah back out of the Archmage's space. He spoke, "He isn't a Pyranor, he isn't one of your own and I'm sure you have seen the state he's in. There's nothing left of him, he's just a body."

Leiah growled and pulled against the spellbreakers, "He's my brother's best friend and our comrade in surviving the fall. He's family no matter what you say."

"He's not alive, where he is kept should make no difference to him." The Archmage grew exasperated and gestured the forces forward. They shoved Leiah and Youlie out of the way. "Where is he, warrior?"

Leiah crossed her arms then spoke at the top of her voice, "The Priest is upstairs. We won't let you take him!" The rest of the population of the house was alerted of the activity by her yell.

Iviaen, Dalaen, Miastal, and Danil came out of the rooms they had been in. Kemnebi hopped onto the railing, bow ready.

The Archmage and his escorts went upstairs; he looked at the bystanders, "Don't try anything stupid if you want to live. A husk isn't worth dying for." The Archmage opened the door and was met with a fist to the face by a very angry Zan. He fell to the ground.

"Go away." Zan growled at the Archmage. "I'm not going to let you take my friend."

One of the Blood Knights commented, "Hey, that's the guy from the other day."

The Archmage looked up at the knight, "Then take him too."

Two of the Blood Knights grabbed Zan by the arms and pulled him away from the Archmage. They lifted his arms behind his back and held him firmly, forcing him to lean forward. Zan growled and futilely tried to struggle away from his captors, "Let go of me!"

The Archmage and his forces except for the two holding Zan entered the room.

Tyan sat on the bed with the plate of food still in his lap. He stared at the Archmage and his forces. He crossed his arms and looked mighty pissed.

The Archmage was surprised to see Tyan up and awake. He regained his focus and commanded the priest, "Get up and come with us or we'll take you by force."

"No." Tyan responded, "I just got here. I want to enjoy my supper and rest. I have no intention of going with you."

The Archmage gestured to a ranger. The ranger stepped up to Tyan, drew his bow and readied an arrow at point blank range. He commanded, "Get up, Priest. Now"

Tyan glared at the Archmage then got out of the bed. "I haven't committed any crime."

Danil looked at Leiah then at the others, "Are you just going to let this happen?"

"We're grossly outnumbered and none of us are dressed for a battle, we don't stand a chance. Even if we did somehow dispatch them, more would come." Leiah explained.

Danil didn't like that answer so he walked into the room, drew his daggers, flipped them so the blades were facing down instead of up in his fists then drove them down into the Archmage's back, "I'm not going to just sit by and tolerate this."

The Archmage let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.

One of the rangers fired off an arrow at Danil, hitting him in the gut. Danil yelped and doubled over. Miastal immediately tended to Danil's wound, Danil helped.

Kemnebi drew his bow and fired off an arrow at the ranger keeping Tyan at bow point. The arrow hits the other ranger's wrist. The opposing ranger lost grip of his bow and it fell to the ground.

Tyan bolted to a nearby corner and took cover, expecting things to get worse not better. He thought to himself, "This can't be happening."

Youlie hopped over to one of the spellbreakers and gave him a good whack upside the head with her elbow.

The lead Archmage's assistant magelings began to cast spells, aiming to take out the skittish Kemnebi. Dalaen chanted some simple words and a felhound jumped upon one of the casters while Iviaen gestured at one of the other mages, silencing it then gestured at the third mage, polymorphing it into a goose. The goose-mage let out an enraged honk and charged at the casters.

Leiah shook her head then shrugged, "Oh what the hell?" She walked up to the Blood Knights holding Zan and slammed one in the head with her shield, knocking him out. She then body-checked the second one to the floor.

Zan, free, bolted behind Iviaen and Dalaen, ducking for cover.

The wounded Archmage turned his attention to Miastal who was still healing Danil, "Heal me, priest."

Mia glared at the Archmage, he wasn't about to help the guy who wanted to kidnap his brother, "Nope. Not a chance. None."

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Yelled a booming voice. Everyone on both sides froze and looked for the source. The source? Master Pyranor, Zan, Leiah, and Youlie's uncle. He glanced down at the Archmage and removed the daggers from his back. He glared at Miastal, "Heal him."

Miastal's ears drooped; he sighed and began healing the Archmage.

"No more of this insanity. Everyone with the Archmage, get out. I'll deal with this personally. You're dismissed." The Archmage's forces, sans the injured, departed. He addressed the occupants in the house, "Sit. All of you."

Tyan sat back down on the bed. Iviaen and Dalaen sat down on the railing. Zan remained on the floor. Danil sat near Mia and rubbed his half-healed wound.

Youlie crossed her arms and leaned against a wall. Leiah remained on her feet, and Kemnebi perched on the railing.

Master Pyranor addressed the Archmage, "Explain why you brought a small war force to a civilian home."

The Archmage sat up and glared back at the Paladin, "I have come to collect something they stole."

Master Pyranor turned his attention to Youlie; he figured the rogueish type was probably involved. "Stole?"

Youlie sneered at her uncle, "He's talking about Tyan."

"He is a dead, an empty husk full of light magic. Dangerous but possibly useful, hence. And they stole, he's not even sentient." The Archmage retorted.

Dalaen chimed in, "We collected him and cured him on the wish of his friend and his next of kin." The warlock gestured to Zan then to Miastal.

Tyan got up from the bed and hobbled over to the Paladin and the Archmage, "I may have not been before but I'm pretty sure I am alive and sentient now, don't you think? I have committed no crime. It is unethical to imprison me without just cause."

Master Pyranor commented, "Yes, you appear to be alive. You're glowing but that's nothing someone like me couldn't handle." He looked at the Archmage, "I don't think he's a threat to anyone at the moment, don't you agree?"

"He doesn't seem to be a threat right now but that doesn't mean he won't become a threat later." The Archmage sneered. He was extremely pissed off that his experiment had regained sentience and managed to get control. All that lost potential sacrificed for the sake of emotional concepts like family and loyalty.

"I say leave him be. If something goes awry I'm sure Leiah can make sure it's handled or seek help. Right child?" Master Pyranor looked to Leiah.

"Absolutely." Leiah responded and crossed her arms.

"Then I say we trust these people who fixed the priest to handle the problem or seek assistance. You can get back to working on useful things and these folks can go back to recovering from their active tour of duty." Master Pyranor helped the Archmage to his feet then ushered him and his remaining forces out, "Get going, there are folks back at the spire who can heal you."

The Archmage glared at the elder Blood Knight then stormed off, "This is not nearly over."

Leiah just sighed and shook her head before turning her attention to Master Pyranor, "Why the unexpected but well-timed visit, Uncle?"

Master Pyranor held up a book then tossed it to the ground beside Zan, "I brought this for your brother to study." He then laughed, "I was also hoping to get a home-cooked meal and do some catching up."

Leiah smiled, "We can do that." She gestured to Master Pyranor and moved downstairs.

Tyan's knees grew weak and he collapsed to a sitting position on the ground.

Zan immediately moved to Tyan's side and helped him back to bed. He mumbled something about keeping Tyan safe.

Youlie stepped into the room and mocked, "So when's the wedding and which one of you is going to wear mother's dress?"

Both Zan and Tyan shot Youlie a confused, almost stupefied, look. Danil began laughing just outside the door.

The one-eyed rogue continued, "Zan' you'd look so pretty with your hair up in a bun. Leiah and I could do your makeup. But Tyan is more used to wearing a dress. Hmm? Decisions, decisions."

Zan rubbed the back of his head, "What? I don't even…"

Tyan pointed at Youlie and his hand glowed with holy energy. He spoke two words "Get out!" and sent her flying using the same spell he used on Dalaen earlier but amplified. He sent Youlie flying from the room, over the guard railing, and onto her ass on the counter below.

Youlie yelped and rubbed her rear, "Ow! You son of a bitch!"

Tyan's bedroom door slammed, the entire house shuddered at the force of the impact.

Leiah and Master Pyranor stared at the rogue who had just literally landed on the counter beside them as they were walking past it to the kitchen.

Leiah laughed at the rogue, "You deserved that."

_end_

* * *

_There are a few bonus short stories to follow._


	11. Bonus 1: The Silent

Bonus: Short story with more insight about Kemnebi the non-speaking ranger.

* * *

**The Silent**

Kemnebi Sunrunner sat crouched atop the guard railing of the second floor of the place those around him called home, his wild black hair covering his right eye. He stared blankly through the residents and patrons as they came and went, hugging his bow, stoic in expression, never making eye contact, so still one might think he was a painted stone statue not a living person. If he had wings, he might be mistaken for a strange gargoyle.

His parents had perished in the Razing of Quel'thalas, while he managed to survive. In life his father was a ranger in charge of a small squadron in service to the Alliance. His mother was a sorceress. They met and fell in love while away and retired back to their homeland when his mother became pregnant. They settled in a small, peaceful village.

His parents were proud and loved him unconditionally, but from the time of his very birth Kemnebi was a strange child. He did not cry or fuss as a baby, he often remained completely still. He was wide awake when he was born and often stared blankly into the distance. Other parents were envious that their baby was so well-behaved.

As Kemnebi grew older he began to move, walk, and play with toys like any child would do. Where other children would vocalize Kemnebi did not. Other children would play with their toys, imagine, and make messes but not Kemnebi. Kemnebi would sort things into lines. His favorite toy was a set of colored wooden blocks; he would sort them by color, into lines and stacks and have terrible tantrums of sobbing if they were disturbed in any way.

While other children began to speak, Kemnebi remained silent. He was kicked out of care for pushing and hitting other children during playtime, these children were ruining his stacks of toys.

Afraid to school Kem with other children, his mother hired a private tutor to help him speak and learn. He seemed to somewhat grasp math and understand speech but still never spoke and never maintained eye-contact for long.

As he grew older, Kem became more tolerant of others disrupting his order and ceased his temperamental outbreaks. His mother reluctantly enrolled him in school. He was bullied, pushed, mocked, and generally mistreated by his peers, behaviors he silently endured.

Kemnebi's parents were heartbroken that their child was different, was slow, and was silent. It pained them to see his lack of interaction, his lack of eye contact, his lack of affection, and his lack of emotions.

When he became the elven equivalent of a preteen, his mother had quite enough with the bullying, withdrew him from school, and took Kemnebi to the capital of Quel'thalas, Silvermoon City. She enrolled him in a private institution there. On the advice of the institution they took Kemnebi to see a pair of high priests who were happy to assist parents with troubling children before he began attending.

Kemnebi remembered sitting on the floor in an almost completely empty room with his parents and the priests towering over him.

The priests looked over the paperwork from the old school and the new school and gave Kemnebi a bag of fake coins to play with while they spoke to his parents and prayed for his wellbeing. He sorted the coins by size, emblem, and color.

The tall white haired priest stared down at the coins then to Kemnebi's family. He had an idea and exchanged a glance with his colleague, "Your child is not an idiot. He seems to be somewhat intelligent. Perhaps he is simply mute?"

Kemnebi's father sighed, "Yes, we are aware of his intelligence, but he doesn't speak and doesn't socialize. He's not mute; he makes noises, like growling, in his infancy he used to scream in tantrums."

The ginger priest crouched before Kemnebi and greeted him. Kemnebi looked up and made brief eye contact before turning his attention back to stacking coins. The priest asked him, "Could you hand me that stack please?" He pointed to one of the coin stacks then held out his hand.

Kem put the requested stack in the priest's hand and returned to his sorting.

The ginger priest stood up and held the coins in his hand for others to see, "He understands spoken word and can be coaxed to follow directions. Perhaps there is something in his mind obstructing his ability to speak."

"Perhaps." Kem's mother stared down at her son, "Is there something you can do, High Priests?"

The ginger priest dropped the coins to the floor one by one, allowing Kemnebi time to collect them before giving another. "We could attempt to touch his mind and create a, well, bridge of sorts, and see if we can't help him speak. Think of it as magical speech therapy."

"Do it." Kemnebi' father approved of the idea, "We' try anything to make our son normal."

The white haired priest bowed his head, "Bring him here tomorrow at dawn. We will be well-rested enough for the procedure."

That night Kem's family stayed in a local inn. Kem's father took him to the archery range for the first time ever and let him watch the archers, including his father, shoot. It was his way of giving his son a special treat.

His father told him, "Kemnebi, if you get better, someday you can become a ranger like these men and women. I would be proud of you if you did."

Kemnebi did not respond to or even hear his father; instead he simply stared at the rangers with that typical blank expression on his face.

The next morning Kemnebi was brought to the priests. His mother greeted them, "High Priest Sunbrand, High Priest Pyranor, is there anything we can do in exchange for your help?"

High Priest Sunbrand, the white haired priest, gestured the Sunrunner family into the room they were in before. There was a bed in the room now with restraint straps on it. "We're fine, thank you." He gestured to the bed, "Kemnebi, go lay down please."

Kemnebi lay down on the bed, angered by the change in the room from the other day. The ginger priest put straps around his wrists and ankles and fastened them down then put straps over his body.

High Priest Pyranor, the ginger, stood behind the bed and rested his palm on Kemnebi's forehead after finishing strapping him in, he looked at the other priest. "He's ready."

The white haired priest stood over Kemnebi and looked at his parents, "Leave us, we must not be distracted." Kem's parents departed. High Priest Sunbrand's hands touched Kem's temples, he muttered some words and touched Kem's mind.

Kem let out a terrified noise and lashed violently against his bonds. This priest was an unwelcome and frightening invader violating Kem's mind with his mere presence.

The ginger priest held Kem's head firmly in place. He projected thoughts of safety and comfort, "Lay still child. We are helping you, you're safe. You'll be alright." No matter how much the priest tried to calm and comfort Kemnebi, nothing would work.

Several terrifying hours later, the procedure was complete. The white haired priest rose from kneeling and stumbled out of the room in a dizzy haze, exhausted.

High Priest Pyranor examined Kem and hastily healed wounds on the young elf's wrists where he had cut himself with the leather straps entirely with his own ceaseless struggling. Afterwards he undid the restraints and addressed Kemnebi, "You can get up now. Go see your parents, they are probably right outside."

Kemnebi got up and stared blankly at the ginger priest for several minutes. Eventually the priest led him out to his parents in the next room. He was met by his parents who immediately hugged him and fussed.

"Can you speak, little Kem?" His mother asked, "They were supposed to help you be able to speak. Say something."

"Say anything" His father pleaded.

Kemnebi got an annoyed look on his face and flopped to the floor, he said nothing.

High Priest Pyranor crouched down and offered Kemnebi a sweet treat, "Can you say the word yes? If you can you can have this."

Kemnebi gave the priest a blank stare and responded with a squeaky and soft, "Yes." He snatched the treat begrudgingly from the priest's hand.

Kemnebi's parents were satisfied with the handiwork of the two priests. In the following days Kemnebi's parents sold their family home and moved to the city to be closer to Kem's new school. While Kem was resentful of the change in homes, his parents explained it was for the best that Kem got a new start with new chances to make friends.

While Kemnebi grew to be articulate and succinct in his speech, he was a youth of few words. He remained a loner and didn't make many friends; he was still not social and he still didn't make eye-contact. He focused on school-work not socialization.

His peers viewed him as this strange yet dark and brooding enigma of an elf. Girls developed crushes on him and went out of their way to try and get him to court them. This simply annoyed Kemnebi and he frequently spoke the words, "Go away." This made them want his attention even more. Girls started to try and court him since he didn't seem interested in initiating. More annoyance. Boys grew enraged that he seemed to have girls interested in him and bullied him out of envy. Annoyance.

As the equivalent of a teen, Kemnebi found respite in one single activity, archery. It was the one thing he excelled at above all other activities. His dad, now one of several Farstrider commanders, had taught him as a reward for speaking.

The first time he picked up a bow at school he hit the bull's eye on his target. Then he repeated it several more times. He was accepted into a program to train young rangers after school and he spent all his free time practicing. Archery became his obsession.

Kemnebi made a friend, a single friend, in the ranger training program. She called herself Van; she was an awkwardly tall freckly girl who wore her coppery hair in a ponytail. Like Kem was following his father's footsteps, she was following in the footsteps of her mother.

Van didn't mind that Kem was quiet, or a little strange, or that he wasn't terribly social. She did enough talking for the both of them and occasionally she even got Kemnebi to smile. She liked that he didn't flirt with her or ask her out, that she had company to shoot with at any time.

Eventually Kemnebi and Van graduated and joined the ranger corps as trainees. They both graduated early to being full-fledged members as they had spent years after school doing preparatory training.

Shortly after becoming full-fledged rangers they stood out in front of the city practicing at a range that had been set up. All the arrows had been shot; Van and several others went out into the field to retrieve them.

It was then that the undead came. Without ammunition, the command was given for the young rangers to scatter and Kemnebi bolted up a nearby tree. He paid no mind to the bushes and branches that ripped his cloth uniform and into his flesh.

Kemnebi peered down from the tree, stoic. He surveyed the slaughter of his peers. He thought to himself, "_I never liked most of them anyways; the only one I tolerated was Van._"

He grew physically ill at a thought, at the realization that Van wasn't up there in the tree with him. _"Where is Van?"_

Kem looked around and found Van lying dead in the field, atop the hill were she had been collecting arrows, ripped limb from limb. She never even had a chance to escape, she was among the first of the young rangers to fall. Arrows were still clutched in the hand of her removed arm.

Something inside Kemnebi broke and a part of him died that day in the field. The internal dialogue he had struggled to establish wilted away, most of the work of those two priests was undone and Kemnebi became mostly blank again, regressing.

Listless, he collected Van's tags and slipped them in his pocket, then collected as many arrows as he could find and returned to his tree perch.

He never cried over his loss but went days without sleep before finally resting. He lost his sensibilities and became more out of touch and more feral than he had even been in his childhood.

He became overwhelmed with fear, with terror, the events playing over and over again in his mind. Relentless and never ending repetition.

Eventually elves came and cleaned up the remains of his peers but Kemnebi decided to stay away from the others. He was different and they would probably think him plagued in his delirious feral state.

One day, he was caught by surprise drinking from a nearby pond. When he turned to see the other elf, for a moment he thought he saw Van, which caused him to hold back attacking this stranger. It was another freckly ginger elf, but a male one. He hid up the tree.

In the days that followed this strange ginger greeted Kemnebi and brought him food. Kem's instincts of distrust conflicted with his sensing resemblance in the ginger elf to his now deceased only friend and reluctantly accepted this elf, Zandrae's, gifts.

Zan brought a healer to heal Kem, food daily, blankets when the cold came. Zan was a stranger, not a friend, but Kem grew to know that this stranger at least cared about his wellbeing.

One winter day, when Zan stopped coming with food, Kemnebi went to where he had tracked the little ginger to living.

He found Zan in deep sadness, having been abandoned by his friends and family. Like Kem, he was alone. Kemnebi remained with Zan and eventually grew to trust him and appreciate his companionship. Zan would never be a replacement for Van, but at least he was kind.

Eventually his friends and family returned. They, too, accepted Kemnebi and Zan's home became his home, and Zan's family became his family. And the strategic spot on the second floor railing became Kemnebi's perch.

"Kem." Zan stood on the floor below, calling to the ranger. "I made something for you." He held up a small decorative metal tin then set it on the counter in front of him.

Kem strapped his bow back on his back and shoved his arrow in its quiver then hopped down from his perch and landed on the counter in a crouch.

He snatched the tin up and made brief eye-contact with Zan, long enough to get Zan to smile, before bolting back up to his perch. He opened the tin and pulled one of the treats from within and ate it.

The sweets brought back memories of long-gone friends, he fought back tears. For a brief moment, Kem felt some resemblance of normality and belonging, he managed a slight smile before returning to stoicism. Kem stuck his free hand in his pocket and clenched Van's tags.


	12. Bonus 2: Men in Dresses

_Bonus: Short story about the typical high jinks of Iviaen and Dalaen._

* * *

**Men in Dresses**

Iviaen Brightblaze the mage stood on a chair in the master bedroom of the Pyranor house, his gold, green, red mage robes flowing around the chair, his white hair in its loose ponytail. He pulled books from the shelves of a bookcase and handed them one-by-one to Dalaen Duskhallow, the warlock, with long auburn hair tied into five long braids clad in dark red robes. Dalaen set the books in wooden crates.

Iviaen handed Dalaen the last book and hopped down from the chair and shoved it aside, "Alright, help me move this shelf." He gripped one side and Dalaen gripped the other. With a tug the shelf moved away from the wall and a book that was resting atop the shelf out of their vision fell and slammed Iviaen in the head.

"Ow! It's raining books!" Iviaen stared down at the book, "Stop stop, I think I hurt my head."

Dalaen sighed and stopped lifting the shelf, "Magister, your skull is so thick nothing can hurt your head."

Iviaen picked up the book, it had a cover that folded over the pages opposite the spine and locked in two places. He tried to open it but it was latched closed with a magic lock, "I need to find out what is in here because if it isn't important, I'm going to burn the damn thing." He grabbed a dagger from his belt and tried to slide it under the cover but a spell deflected it. "Huh, this one is protected."

Dalaen held out his hand, "Let me see it you idiot."

Iviaen handed the book to Dalaen, "Must be something important if its locked up."

"Or something dangerous and powerful. Wasn't the late Mr. Pyranor a high priest?" Dalaen asked, his finger glowed with dark energy and he attempted to pop the locks on the book but it didn't work. "This could contain his secret life's research."

"Or something he didn't want anyone to know. It could just be a diary." Iviaen commented, putting the back of his palm to his forehead. "Dear diary, today at the convent I spilled holy water on my robe, life is so hard."

Dalaen cackled and set the book aside, "Let's get the stuff moved then we can break the seal for this book for our own amusement."

Iviaen got to his feet, "Very well."

Normally mages frown upon warlocks, who were once peers before falling to the draw of temptation for power or the intrigue of the dark arts. Iviaen had more than one friend abandon the mage path to the dark art studies in the past and had tried to not let himself fall to prejudices. One in ten of his people was wiped out by the scourge, he was happy to even have a living friend.

Dalaen was originally a perpetually bored magister who went astray in his quest for more knowledge, his form of entertainment. Iviaen could relate to this as he, himself, was a perpetually bored magister with a thirst for entertaining knowledge.

The duo took to each other quite quickly when they shared living space in a cave with the Pyranors and Tyan after the razing of Silvermoon. Being the most academic of the bunch, they found each other best suited as an intellectual companion and developed an entertaining repertoire. At least, it was entertaining to them. To everyone else they were obnoxious men in dresses with their faces perpetually in books.

The primary difference between the pair was that Dalaen had a slightly sadistic and antagonizing streak and Iviaen didn't, though the streak usually just came from giving others a mental hazing, which Iviaen was sometimes amused by. When Dalaen went too far, Iviaen would reel him in.

After moving the bookshelves to their room and loading them back up with books, Iviaen and Dalaen sat around the table in their makeshift study and stared at the mysterious sealed book.

Dalaen looked up from the book to his mage friend, "I think we may need to refresh our spell-breaking skills for this. The spell on it is pretty tough."

Iviaen held up a book of his own, "I've got just the thing." His book read, "Knowledge is Free" "A guide to breaking sealing spells on literature." He opened it, "First we need to identify the nature of the seal."

"It's probably made with holy magic, as the owner was a priest." Dalaen rolled his eyes, it was common sense.

After a few days of trial and error, the book's magical seal finally was broken, leaving the pair free to explore the deepest, darkest, and most powerful secrets of who they assumed was likely the late High Priest Pyranor.

Dalaen opened the first page and began reading; he was unfazed at first at the content, "It's a diary of confessions."

"A confession? Whose, Landon's? About what?" Iviaen quirked a brow.

Dalaen sipped some tea from a teacup and flipped the page, "The author mentions forsaking his wife while away on a six month assignment to the cathedral in Stormwind, so it's probably indeed Landon Pyranor."

"Leiah's dad was having an affair. Naughty priest." Iviaen shook his head and took a sip of his own tea.

"Get this, with his roommate, an elf with fair porcelain skin and the silkiest white hair he had ever touched." Dalaen commented, "A man, Nolan Sunbrand."

Iviaen coughed on his tea, when he finished coughing he gave Dalaen a stare, brow raised, "I wonder if our Sunbrands know of that this guy." He hopped from his seat and headed out into the hall and came back a few moments later and shut the door before bursting into laughter.

"What?" Dalaen asked; he had closed the book in wait until his friend returned.

"Nolan is Miastal and Tyan's father." Iviaen sat down and held his side, unable to stop laughing.

Dalaen resumed the book, a few pages in he started to read, "Dear journal, today it happened. After our shift, Nolan and I couldn't take it anymore and we ducked into our room for some time alone." He took a sip of tea then flipped the page. He suddenly sprayed his tea everywhere including on Iviaen. He got a horrified look on his face.

Iviaen wiped the tea from his face, "What is it?"

"What's this, I don't even..." Dalaen slid the book to Iviaen, trying desperately to regain his composure.

Iviaen looked at the contents of the page, "We kissed passionately. His unbuttoned my robe and I undid his. He hugged and caressed me as I kissed his down his neck and chest to his… oh my." Iviaen stopped reading out loud, keeping the intimate details silent. Like a train-wreck, he just couldn't stop looking, "When he had enough he shoved me onto my back and took me. The pain subsided and all I felt was the muted pleasure of being full. Then he…" Iviaen closed the book being unable to read any more of it. He felt deeply disturbed, "I think we should burn it."

Dalaen shook his head, "It may be something certain members of the Pyranor family may want to read at some point."

Iviaen blinked, he looked physically ill, "Why would anyone want to read all of that?"

"Think about it. Isn't it interesting? Are the sins of the father carried by their sons? Did the Pyranor children and Sunbrand children know each other or did Landon and Nolan keep their families very far away from each other to avoid suspicion?" Dalaen sipped his tea thoughtfully.

"Zan and Tyan could be the sinful desires of the fathers manifesting. Or perhaps tall, cranky, and white haired is just what the Pyranor men are attracted to?" Iviaen eyed the book then shifted nervously, he was tall and white haired, he certainly did not want.

"Suddenly the idiots in this house are a lot more interesting." Dalaen smirked, "I wonder if the Sunbrands have some matching literature."

As he asked that question, Miastal Sunbrand, the younger of the Sunbrand family, slipped in, "Our family home was destroyed. We recovered a few things but not much."

Miastal, a barely of age priestling, wasn't as tall as his brother, he had blonde hair and spent most of his time spaced out, it was surprising he was down to earth enough to hear Dalaen's comment at all.

Dalaen smirked at Miastal, "Have any books?"

"Maybe." Miastal commented. He then asked, "Oh robed men of wisdom, have you seen my prayer book?"

Iviaen pointed to one of the beds in the room, "It's there, priestling. If you could replace it with a book recovered from your home, especially sealed ones, we'd appreciate it."

Miastal collected his prayer book, "Whaaa?"

"We have taken to delving into diaries of the deceased." Dalaen explained. "Apparently your father and the Pyranor father were... best friends."

"Really? I knew he often worked with a red haired high priest but I never knew that priest's name." Miastal blinked a few times.

"Yes. Really." Iviaen confirmed.

Miastal left the room, "That's really interesting to know. Thanks for telling me."

A few hours later Miastal brought Iviaen and Dalaen a bag of singed and well-smoked books. The magic men shuffled through them and found a book, a book of holy prayers, magically sealed. There was a second copy of the book unsealed, this made the pair suspicious.

It took them a few days to unseal it. Sure enough it was Nolan's journal disguised as a holy book.

"Oh Nolan you clever bastard, hiding your secrets in plain sight." Dalaen cackled and skimmed the book.

Iviaen opened Landon's journal and picked up reading where he left off. He burst into laughter, "So Ms. Pyranor found out that her husband was having his affair, and she told Ms. Sunbrand."

Dalaen chuckled, "Well that must have been the most awkward situation of their lives." He then spoke in an unsettlingly feminine voice, "Excuse me miss but are you Ms. Sunbrand? We need to talk. I believe your husband and my husband are... having relations." He then shuffled through Nolan's journal, a few days ahead of the date they were on in Landon's journal.

"The women were angry at first but eventually forgave their husbands... and then some. Oh my." Iviaen shut the book and shuddered, "Being a complete freak must in the families."

"Hey. Look at this." Dalaen read from an entry, "Landon and I were approached by the Sunrunner family to help their son, Kemnebi, speak. A spiritual bridge was constructed in his mind to allow development of that function, which had been stunted." He flipped a page, "And the procedure was successful."

Iviaen looked towards the door, "But Kem doesn't talk, at all. We've been back for a few months and I've not once heard a word from him. The closest he does is let out an irritated growl. He barely socializes."

"I often wonder what is going on in the ranger's head. How can he tolerate perching on that railing and not moving for hours? The boy must be bored to tears inside." Dalaen theorized.

"Perhaps we can use magic to find out or even repair this... mysterious spiritual bridge. If he could talk, what would he say?" Iviaen grew curious.

Dalaen visibly winced, "I would advise against it, Magister. The last time I tried to cast magic on him I nearly took an arrow to the knee. My leg still hurts."

Iviaen gave Dalaen a smug smirk, "Knowing you, Warlock, he was probably well in the right to do so."

Dalaen rolled his eyes, "Fine, but don't whine to me when he uses you for target practice."

Iviaen headed out to talk with the ranger who perched a few feet away on the railing, "Excuse me, Mr. Sunrunner, we were reading that you used to be able to speak due to a procedure performed by a pair of priests. While I am not a priest I believe I could help you regain the ability to speak again."

Kemnebi shot a glare at Iviaen; he then stared into space for a moment in recollection. Kem let Iviaen know exactly what he thought of the idea. He launched a volley of arrows in Iviaen's direction. None actually aimed to hit him, but enough to drive the point home.

Iviaen's eyes widened at the arrows and bolted back into the room and slammed the door. A rapid series of clacks hit the door less than a second after as the volley planted its self into the door.

Dalaen just cackled at the mage.

"Oh shut up!" Iviaen glared at Dalaen.

"I told you so!" Dalaen retorted.


	13. Bonus 3: Knights of the Living Dead

Bonus Story. Paladins and rangers and Death Knights, oh my!

* * *

**Knights of the Living Dead**

The last sensations they felt in death were shortness of breath, fear and extreme, bone chilling, cold. They had been members of the Argent Dawn in life but, along with everyone in their troop, they were slain in attempt to strike at the Citadel of Naxxramas as it lingered above what was now known as The Plaguelands. Most of their comrades were torn limb from limb, their bodies so damaged that they were not candidates to be brought back. Unfortunately these two were no so lucky. They suffocated while entrapped in blocks of ice by the lich Kel'Thuzad.

As he did with many of his victims, the lich left the two high elf priests in their blocks, stored away as trophies, fallen heroes of the light, succumbed to the power of the scourge as all would.

When it came time to move his citadel to the frozen land of Northrend, the elves and many others were sent to Acherus to be thawed.

"Interesting, there are two of them." Instructor Razuvious stood in the lower hall of Acherus, picking corpses to animate. He had found the mostly thawed high elves. They had ice magic coursing through their frozen bodies for so long that their once white hair had stained a frosty blue. "Awaken that one."

The necromancers awoke one of the two elves. The elf gasped for air and he shivered, his body remembering those last sensations upon his death. His blue hair was tied back in a braid and he wore dark herald robes, his priest's robes had been taken and disposed of. His memories were nearly gone; all he could really remember was his name, Tyvek Snowdawn.

The instructor stared at the elf for several moments, when he didn't seem to recover and respond as quickly as others he'd dealt with had he instructed the Necromancers, "He is weak, go chain him with the others for the worthy to kill."

As the Necromancers grabbed him by his arms to drag him to the center of the room. Tyvek's eyes opened wide. He yelled, "No!" He lashed and squirmed but was bound on his knees in the battle circle.

Eventually a 'worthy' came along, unchained him, and they fought. He actually managed to defeat his 'worthy' opponent. A Val'kyr brought the defeated worthy back and the worthy knight instead fought an easier target.

"You. Come here." The Instructor commanded Tyvek.

Tyvek walked over to the Instructor, "Well, you might be worthy after all. Go, get a weapon from the racks, forge it, return here, and stand ready for more commands." He then commanded the Necromancer to resurrect Tyvek's brother, Tyvon.

Tyvek the faint presence of Tyvon in his mind along with the commanding presence of The Lich King.

Once Tyvon, who wore his blue hair tied back in a ponytail, got over the initial shock of awakening, he too was commanded to forge a weapon.

The duo were eventually sent to do the Lich King's bidding. They assisted in assaulting the Scarlet Crusade, fought at the battle of light's hope chapel, took Acherus for the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and joined the Horde. They then returned to their home, Quel'thalas to solve the mystery of their former lives.

A prisoner of the Scourge had clued them in to having been part of the Argent Dawn as priests in life, other than that, they knew very little. They were not welcome in Silvermoon. Even animals fled from them.

Commoners threw things at them, from food to knickknacks. Children cried. The duo had more than their share of shoes thrown at them as well. Other commoners fled their presence, screaming about scourge spies attacking the city, accusations that landed the Snowdawns in a dungeon beneath the rebuilt spire.

They grew unsettled in their cage and soon took to antagonizing the Amani troll in the next cell to calm what seemed to be an instinctual desire to inflict pain, suffering, or misery on others.

After week of imprisonment, an agent from the Argent Dawn came to see the brothers, responding to their letter of desperate pleas for help. The agent confirmed the identities as the Snowdawns, how they had died, and how they were indeed among a group of Death Knights who were free from the Lich King's will.

They were set free and roamed the city once more. During their captivity they had much time to discuss how they would learn more about themselves.

They sought public records with information about themselves, who their parents were, etc. They researched family ties to their parents and found information about Tyan and Miastal Sunbrand. They found an address and went cautiously to the place the Sunbrands lived.

The Snowdawns found the front door was open; the room they entered was a jewelry shop. A freckled male blood elf with shoulder length coppery-red hair, Zan, was standing behind the counter removing a pair of plate gloves. He was half-clad in armor typical of a paladin. The place and even the elf behind the counter seemed eerily familiar.

Zan greeted them as they entered then looked up to see Death Knights in full armor, helms and all. He froze and lost all color in his skin.

Tyvek addressed him, "Hello little Paladin we have come here looking for someone.

Zan looked terrified like he was about to scream.

Tyvon lifted his hands trying to calm the frightened Paladin. "No, don't scr-"

Zan let out a terrified yell and ran for the kitchen, "Help! We're being attacked by Death Knights!"

"—eam." He sighed and raised a finger, ensnaring Zan in chains of ice, "That's not very paladin-like."

Zan yelled and tried to squirm out of the icy bonds, "Let me go! I don't want to die!"

Kemnebi leapt up onto the railing on the second floor above the counter, bow drawn and ready to fire.

Tyvek pointed at him and used shadows to yank the ranger to him. He yanked the bow away then ensnared him in ice as well.

Kemnebi let out a yelp of surprise. Upon realizing he had lost his bow he tried to grab it from Tyvek, the icy bonds keeping him from reaching the Death Knight. He kept trying, growling at the Death Knights and yelping as he lashed violently against his bonds with such force their frozen edges cut into his flesh.

Zan's wide eyes teared up, "W-what do you want from us?"

Tyvon sighed at the obviously frightened Paladin, "We are looking for Tyan and Miastal Sunbrand."

Zan turned and glared at the Death Knights, weaving up a holy spell, "I won't let you monsters hurt my priest or his brother!"

"We believe they may be able to help us get our memories back." Tyvon continued.

"Please. We aren't here to hurt anyone. We just want help." Tyvek explained, trying to sound as soothing as possible with his strange voice.

Zan stopped casting his spell and the light energy dissipated from his hand, "Then... just let us go?"

The Death Knights dispelled the icy bonds from Zan and Kem.

Tyvek handed Kem back his bow. The ranger snatched it away and bolted behind the counter and over to Zan, showing Zan his wounds.

Zan glanced down at Kem's bleeding wrists and gently rested his hands on them. His hands glowed and he began mending Kemnebi's wounds.

Tyvon took off his helmet, "And we aren't monsters. We're elves just like you." Tyvek followed suit shortly after.

Zan listened but kept his eyes on Kem's wounds. Kemnebi, however, stared at them with his expressionless empty stare. After a few minutes he raised a brow. As Zan moved onto his second wrist he pointed at the Death Knights with his free hand.

Tyvek spoke, "Are they around?"

Zan spoke to Kem, "I know they're there, just stay calm." He then addressed the Death Knights, "They will be back shortly after sundown.

"May we wait here for them?" Tyvon asked.

Zan sighed and finished healing Kemnebi. He kept his head bowed in contemplation. It would be rude to kick them out but they would scare away the customers. He answered, "You can wait in the kitchen."

Tyvek and Tyvon went back behind the counter and to the kitchen without having been told where it was.

Kemnebi made strange noises and pointed more. When the Death Knights left the room he yanked Zan to the kithen.

Zan stared back and forth between them for a moment. He recognized them. His jaw fell open.

The Death Knights were sitting on the side of the table that had sat at in life. They caught Zan's facial expression.

"We get that a lot." Tyvon sighed.

"Snowdawns. Is it really you?" Zan moved to the table and sat down across from them.

Kemnebi hopped up onto the table and crouched between the Snowdawns and Zan with a smug look on his face.

Tyvek managed a weak half-grin, "Judging by your reaction is it safe to assume you know us?"

Zan nodded and they spent the next several hours catching up as Zan prepared for supper between helping shop customers.

The sun went down and the rest of the residents returned home. Zan was there to greet them.

Zan spoke, "We will be having guests for dinner tonight. Please don't panic or do anything stupid. They aren't a threat or anything; they want to talk to Tyan and Miastal."

Leiah raised a brow, "Frightening dinner guests? Just who have you invited to dinner?"

Zan looked down to the floor, "Tyvek and Tyvon Snowdawn."

Tyan's eyes widened, "But I thought they were de-"

"Death Knights. They were brought back as Death Knights but they have free will now and don't remember their pasts so they are here to learn." Zan sighed.

Tyan looked physically ill, "D-death Knights?"

Miastal pondered outloud, "Do Death Knights even eat?"

Zan grabbed Tyan's wrist, "Come meet them."

"N-no. I don't want to see them like that. Please no." Tyan protested as Zan dragged him the whole way to the kitchen. Miastal followed behind, curious.

Zan seated Tyan, who kept his eyes squeezed closed, at the table across from the Snowdawns.

Tyan whimpered, "I don't want to look."

Tyvon responded, trying to sound comforting but instead sounding strange, "You don't have to if you don't want to, cousin."

Miastal sat down beside Tyan. He blinked at the hair color the Snowdawns were sporting, "Woah. That's some really amazing hair color you have going on there cousins."

Tyvek chuckled slightly, "I suppose it is."

"Blue is definitely a good color for you." Miastal laughed.

Tyan's eyebrows furrowed and curiosity got the best of him. He opened his eyes and looked at the Snowdawns and their pale blue hair. He was relieved to see they looked relatively normal still.

After Tyan got over is initial shock they all started catching up on things. At supper there was even more catching up with everyone. The residents were suspicious at first but eventually got over it.

The Snowdawns retook their room, which had been being used for storage. They were on their way back to becoming some semblance of the folks they were in life.

And more importantly, they were home.


	14. Bonus 4: Preoccupied Priestling

Bonus: Inside the mind of Miastal Sunbrand, he gives a synopsis of parts of Warcraft 3's belf campaign. So spoilers there.

* * *

**Preoccupied Priestling**

Miastal Sunbrand was the youngest of three sons, each many years apart. He was an unexpected accident but wound up being his father's pride as his oldest brother sired a child of his own too soon and his middle brother Tyan was rather slow and barely squeaking by in his priestly training.

Miastal quickly caught up and surpassed his brother in training and had nearly become full-fledged in the aftermath of the fall. He eventually reunited with friends and family. He wound up sharing a room in his new home with his cousin.

Today was just another day for Miastal. He was a young adult with yellow-blonde hair, he awoke from his slumber and let out a large yawn and rubbed his eyes.

His little mind started up, narrating his life, it was a problem he had, his mind running wild. A few times he got hurt by tripping over or slamming into things entirely from his mind distracting him. He had developed a reputation as a klutz.

He thought, "My name is Miastal Sunbrand. I had just come of age when Silvermoon fell. I live in a room with my cousin Danil, or Dani, who is trying to be a Farstrider scout rather than being a priest like the rest of us."

Miastal got to his feet, grabbed a robe and his towel then stumbled from his bedroom, out the door and to another room. The door flung opened and Dalaen the auburn haired warlock with his dark robes and wet hair in five long braids stepped out then pushed past the priestling.

His mind continued, "That's Dalaen Duskhallow. He can be a bit of a jerk sometimes but I think that just comes with the territory of practicing the dark arts. His roommate is Iviaen Brightblaze, a mage. I don't know why they live with my family but they do. They turned their room into a makeshift library. Sometimes I sit with them and read books."

He caught a heavy glance upon him and turned to see Kemnebi sitting behind him on the rails. Kemnebi was a ranger with short wild black hair.

Miastal gave Kem a nervous grin and a wave then slipped into the bathroom and shut the door.

"That's Kemnebi. I think his last name is Sunrunner. He doesn't like me or anyone else for that matter. He is always sitting there in that spot with his bow and arrow ready to shoot us. He doesn't talk, or can't talk, I don't know which. Again, I don't know why he lives with my family but he does."

Mia removed his night robe and began to shower. His mind wandered, "This isn't my family home. That was destroyed. This home belongs to the Pyranors who saved my brother from a herd of undead."

He remembered previous events as he put some liquid in his hair, thinking to himself, "The undead were invading. Dani ran to see us and told the elders we all needed to flee, that the undead were coming. After some discussion elders called for us to evacuate so we did. Dani and Tyan were with me. We were stopped in our tracks by a herd of undead and had little hope of making it by them and out of the city alive."

He turned off the water and walked over to a tub of warm water and sat down. He let out a relaxed sigh and his mind prattled on, "My brother yelled at the undead and grabbed their attention and ran off yelling for us to flee. They followed him leaving us a safe passage out."

"Dani and I hid in the forest for a few days. He used his neat skills as a Farstrider to gather us nuts and berries to eat. Eventually he found my cousins, the Snowdawns, and we joined them in a big cap of survivors. Dani helped heal people for once and we even reunited with Tyan."

"We went with Kael'thas to help the Alliance, Zan stayed behind and the Snowdawns went off to the Argent Dawn and died then they got better. Anyhow, some Night Elf people helped us reach the Alliance then we joined them."

There was a knock on the bathroom door, a voice called in, "Anyone in there? Are you decent?"

Miastal snapped back to reality again. He responded to the voice, "Yeah. You can come in."

Iviaen Brightblaze made his way into the bathroom with clean robes and a towel and hit the shower. The Magister was older, about the age of Tyan, and had long white hair tied in a loose pony-tail.

Miastal went back to thinking to himself. "The Snowdawns are something called Death Knights now, like Arthas was before he became the Lich King, but not as powerful. I'm not sure if they are alive or walking corpses anymore. I'm not going to go take their pulses and find out. It's sad, they used to be really good priests."

Iviaen finished his shower and got in the hot tub and sighed.

Miastal didn't even greet him; his eyes just remained glazed over, lost in his thoughts. "So humans, they're mean. We risked our lives to come and help the Alliance fight the Scourge and they made us fix towers but left us no boats to reach them. Lucky for us Prince Kael'thas made friends with a Naga lady who gave us boats. When the mean Lord Garithos made us defend against an invasion with only ourselves, the Naga lady brought her friends to help us. She was pretty, well sort-of, for a snake woman."

Iviaen leaned back in the tub and stared at Miastal's face. He was thoroughly amused because the little priest started babbling out loud about halfway through his thought string.

Miastal continued, "Well we got in trouble and the humans took us to Dalaran and locked us up. They put me in a little cage and I could hardly move. I cried a lot and the guards made fun of me and wouldn't feed me even though I hadn't eaten in days. They said they were going to execute us. I was hungry and scared."

"Then that pretty Naga lady, Vashj, came to save us and they took us through a portal to the ruins of a place called Draenor. But anyhow humans are mean. It's sad because I had dreamed of spending a year in Stormwind learning about the light from the humans there. But now the humans are mean and we don't like them anymore so that won't happen. When my dad was younger he went to Stormwind too."

Iviaen held back laughter at the mention of Miastal's father and Stormwind. He couldn't contain himself and a chuckle escaped and he shrunk down and buried his mouth under the water.

Miastal snapped back to reality and gave Iviaen a confused look, "Huh?"

Iviaen sat back up and coughed. "Oh, nothing. I was just remembering a funny book I read."

"I could go for a funny book. Can I read it?" Miastal asked.

Iviaen winced and turned red, "I... I..." He should have seen that coming, he struggled to think of an excuse. He couldn't show the innocent priestling the book detailing exactly what and who his father did in Stormwind. The mage got it! "It's mage humor, you wouldn't get it unless you were a mage."

Miastal went back to his thoughts, quietly this time, "Mister Brightblaze can be weird sometimes." He turned away from Iviaen, got out of the tub, toweled off and left the bathroom.

Kemnebi wasn't out there on the rails anymore.

"If the ranger is away that could only mean one thing. It's feeding time." Miastal headed down the ramp to the lower floor and into the kitchen.

The kitchen was an active place and Miastal observed it as he sat down at the table, narrating the scene to himself.

"That's Leiah, she's the oldest of the Pyranor family. Regal like a lioness, she sits at the head of the table, unmoved and patient. She waits to be served by her underlings."

Leiah was an average sized female elf with chin length coppery-red hair and freckles clad in a red shirt and black pants with a brown leather vest on over it.

Miastal's eyes moved to the next occupied seat. Youlie, the red-haired pig-tailed youngest Pyranor, wearing an eye patch and a huge disfiguring scar on the right side of her face. She held her fork and knife in her fists and yelled to the cooking elf, "Hurry up, bring on the meat!"

Miastal frowned, "That's Youlie. Folks say she lost her eye in a battle with the Scourge. I think she lost more than that, I think she lost her kindness and common decency too."

He turned his attention to the cook, Zan. A freckled male elf with red hair cropped at just below his shoulders. He wore all brown and a white apron as cooked. He unloaded meat onto a plate on the counter beside the stove.

Miastal thought, "That's Zan. He's the middle Pyranor and is training to become a Paladin. He also does most of the household chores. May here still don't respect him."

On the counter crouched Kemnebi, the ranger, he eyed the meat. Miastal noted this mentally, narrating in the style of a nature documentary despite the fact that such things don't really exist in this world, "The wild ranger spotted his prey and it sat helpless before him. It was just waiting to be snatched. Alas but the prey's keeper was near, would the ranger risk snatching it and drawing the keeper's ire?"

Kem reached out to snatch a piece of sausage from the plate.

Zan snapped his tongs at the ranger, "No. Back!"

"The ranger reaches in, trying to snatch his prey but is foiled by the prey's keeper who drives him back. He retreats back to his hiding place and continues to stalk his prey, for he is patient."

Kemnebi pulled away at the snapping tongues and backed off the edge of the counter, falling to the ground with a thunk.

Several of the room's occupants, including Mia, burst into laughter but a tall white haired priest, Tyan, moved to Kemnebi's side.

The priest spoke, "Are you hurt friend?"

Kemnebi nodded and leapt onto the counter again. He returned to eyeing the plate of meat as if nothing had even happened.

Miastal sighed and thought, "The wild ranger loses his footing and falls from his hunting-perch. One of the caring members of the tribe checks his well-being, but pretending the fall never happened he assumes his position."

Miastal loaded some baked foods onto his plate and his train of thought continued, "That's my older brother, Tyan. He was rescued, or captured, depends on who you ask, by the Pyranor sisters. I think he's the reason we stay here, that and having nowhere else to go."

Zan moved the plate of meat to the table, fixed a plate of assorted foods, and set it along with the proper utensils on the counter in front of Kemnebi.

Mia's eyes wandered to the Snowdawns as he filled a glass with juice. They were eating pastries. He thought, "The Snowdawns, my cousins. Once they were dead, then they got better, but they might still be dead. I don't know. But they're eating, and they aren't eating brains. That's what mindless zombies like to eat, right? Wait a minute!" His mental voice became mockingly frightened, "They're eating pastries made from Grains. Graaaaains!"

Miastal burst into laughter and leaned back in his chair. He was hysterical. The chair tilted over backwards, dumping him on the ground. This came as no surprise to anyone as Miastal seemed to do this type of thing regularly. There were a few snickers but most of the room's occupants were busy eating.

Tyan moved to Mia's side, "Brother? Are you alright? What is wrong with you?"

Miastal laughed so hard he almost cried. He gasped for breath and managed to force out the word, "Graaaaains."


	15. Bonus 5: Holy Magnetism

_Bonus: With real magnets. The subject matter of this chapter is gay but safe for work. No likey bromance no ready._

* * *

**Holy Magnetism**

It started as an assignment; Zan, the know-nothing freckle faced ginger middle brother of the Pyranor family was tasked to care for Tyan, a lanky white haired priest that his sisters had rescued during the fall of Quel'thalas. Zan had never been good at anything in his life, so he set out to take the best care of this priest that he could.

Tyan was an ill-tempered under-skilled priest that both Zan's sisters viewed as property, as a convenience. Originally they didn't even address him by name to Zan, just as "our priest".

To comfort Tyan, Zan called him, "my priest", explaining it was a term of endearment and brotherhood, that they were brothers in suffering the sisters' antagonization. Tyan was not particularly comforted or pleased with this.

Zan viewed Tyan as a bastion of holiness and hope that needed to be protected and cared for. Someone capable of doing deeds far greater than he himself ever hoped to achieve.

Tyan viewed Zan as an annoyance, but a tolerable, well-meaning annoyance.

Not particularly liked by their colleagues and only having each other as decent company, the two frightened elves became best friends in time, inseparable, where one would go the other would surely follow.

Zan was willing to sacrifice anything for Tyan's safety and well-being. That was his job as a protector. If Tyan was threatened, Zan was not hesitant to stand up to others, or even punch someone out, behaviors otherwise atypical to the usually passive elf.

When Tyan was away, Zan waited patiently for his returned and worried. When Tyan had been believed dead, Zan became mournful then crazed for vengeance.

It was in honor of his priest that Zan first started down the path to becoming a Paladin. When someone had to risk their own life to help Tyan recover from near death, it was Zan who took the risk.

In the midst of their happy reunion, a joke was made by Zan's younger sister, implying that the duo were a couple. This came mostly from Zan's seemingly obsessive reverence of the priest. Of course, this concept was unsettling at best and angering at worst. It was enough for Tyan to expel her from his bedroom with a holy bolt and slam the door.

Zan and Tyan never discussed the joke but they both actively avoided interacting heavily with each other around anyone else. They simply went about their lives, training to become a paladin and improve as a priest, assisting the others on various escapades.

Only when they were alone, in their respective beds, in their room that they spoke freely as friends, but even then they grew distant.

Occasionally, Tyan would wake with night terrors. When he had gone with the others to assist Kael'thas and the Alliance, he found himself in a strange and terrifying land and was attacked and nearly killed by a Naaru, a creature of pure light, his group had been ordered to relocate to Silvermoon.

He had been so pumped full of light energy his body burned and radiated light. He was declared dead in official records and was kept imprisoned and experimented on. While most of the time he was out, there were times he was barely conscious.

In his sleep, Tyan remembered the pain, the fear, and the helplessness; he radiated light energy, on some nights so brightly it lit the room as if it were noon.

When Tyan's terrors woke Zan up, Zan took to setting a chair beside Tyan's bed and resting a hand on the sleeping Tyan's forehead.

Unbeknownst to Zan, his own interactions with the Naaru, which were originally due to Zan seeking to avenge Tyan, resulted in Zan able to 'help' his friend. Zan was attuned to the light and could absorb the excess, burning, painful energy Tyan radiated. This same attunement was what led to his joining of the Blood Knights.

Tyan was brought from near death back to functionality with the help of the warlock Dalaen, who drained practically every bit of a willing Zan's life energy, nearly killing him in the process, and then transferring Tyan's excess into Zan.

On the mornings following Tyan's night terrors, he would often awaken to find Zan sleeping in the chair beside him. This often enraged and creeped Tyan out. After several episodes, unaware of his own terrors, Tyan grew angry.

Tyan awoke to Zan sleeping in the chair and threw his prayer book at the young Paladin. "Will you stop sleeping in the chair and sleep in your own bed?" Tyan yelled.

Zan awoke upon the impact of the book to the enraged priest yelling at him. He stumbled to his feet, picked Tyan's book up, set it on Tyan's bed stand and then moved over to sitting on his own bed. "I'm sorry. I didn't men to upset you, you just keep yelling from bad dreams at night. When I rest a hand on you, you seem to calm and sleep soundly."

Tyan shot Zan a glare, "You touched me?" The accusations of Zan's sister rang in the back of his head.

"My priest, I only rested my hand on your forehead, nothing bad. Just until you calmed then I just sat in the chair because you have had more than one episode at night." Zan tried to explain, trying to calm the enraged priest.

Tyan continued to glare, "Paladin. You do not touch me. Ever. If you touch me again, I will make sure you can't touch anything ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

Zan stared down at the ground, "Crystal."

"Good." Tyan responded then flopped back down into his bed, turned his back to Zan and pulled the covers over his head.

Zan let out a sigh of self-pity. All he wanted to do was protect his priest, but he couldn't protect Tyan from his own dreams, only comfort him. And now, he couldn't even do that. The feeling of helplessness was so frustrating that Zan teared up. He realized that if he was caught sobbing over this would just make everything worse so he wiped his eyes, got to his feet, and headed for the bedroom door.

"My priest?" Zan forced a smile as he stood at the door.

"What?" Tyan growled from under the blankets.

Zan's ears drooped at the hostility, "I'm going to go fix breakfast for everyone. Do you want me to bring you some?"

Tyan pulled down the covers and glared at the smiling paladin for several moments before finally responding. "Fine."

Zan bowed his head then slipped from the room, gently closing the door behind him.

On the nights that followed, when awoken by Tyan's night terrors, Zan simply lay in his own bed and stared at the sleeping priest lashing violently, crying out, and glowing. Eventually each episode subsided. Zan hated watching his priest suffer, but Tyan forbade him from giving comfort, and Zan honored that boundary.

The episodes grew progressively worse; the light energy surges began to make Tyan do things like float in the air during his violent nightmares. Zan still just sat and watched helplessly.

One night the nightmares were so terrible that Tyan awoke mid-air. He flailed around and cried for help, overwhelmed with fear and pain from what felt like being burned alive. Tyan caught Zan's glowing green eyes upon him.

Tyan raged, "Stop staring and get me down you idiot!"

Zan sat up straight in his bed, "I have been forbidden to do so by you, my priest."

"Don't argue, help me!" Tyan's entire body trembled with pain.

Zan rose to his feet and walked over to Tyan's bed, "As you command, my priest." He grabbed Tyan by the arms, something which made his hands burn with pain, and pulled the priest down to his level. He wrapped his arms around the trembling priest and hugged him.

Tyan was not appreciating being hugged but glad to be out of the air. The overwhelming pain was crippling and made it difficult for him to lash out so he just glared begrudgingly.

Zan's body reacted to the light energy Tyan radiated. Markings of light that scrolled across Zan's body, usually not visible, flickered to a full glow across his face and hands, the only parts of Zan's skin visible to the priest. Once the light energy had been absorbed the markings on Zan faded away and left the pair in the dark.

Tyan's pain subsided, the heat, fear, everything except his irritation left him. He saw the strange glow from Zan and his eyes widened, "W-what was that? What did you just do, Paladin?"

"I hugged you. I'm sorry, my priest, I didn't mean to. You were just trembling and I couldn't stand it." Zan explained, awkward.

"Not that you idiot. The other thing." Tyan squirmed.

"What other thing?" Zan loosened his grip on the squirmy priest.

"The magic thing that stopped all the pain." Tyan growled, "Is that some Paladin trick?"

Zan got up and returned to his own bed and sat, "I didn't do ant spells or trickery. I just hugged you; it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe you were hallucinating?"

Tyan lay back down in his bed, turned his back to Zan, and pulled the covers over his head, "Nope. I know what I saw, and what I saw wasn't normal. Now go to sleep, I don't want you to stare at me like some sort of creep all night."

The next day, Tyan sought help from Iviaen, the resident mage and eccentric. The white haired mage sat in another room with Dalaen, the auburn haired local warlock, both absorbed in books, sitting across from each other at a table.

"Something happened between Zan and I last night and I need your help." Tyan explained to the mage, he stood beside the table between the two casters.

Dalaen looked up at Tyan from his mystic tome, he cracked a devious smile, "You realize we aren't a couple and are unsuited to give you relationship advice."

Tyan shot a death glare at Dalaen, "Not like that you idiot." He then turned his attention to Iviaen, "Apparently I have dreams and involuntarily channel the light while I sleep. I woke up last night; I had cast levitation on myself or something. I had to ask Zan to help me down. So he did and cast some spell that stopped the involuntary channeling on me. He doesn't recall doing so. Something strange is going on."

Iviaen peered up from his book at the priest, "The involuntary light invocation is probably some remaining side effect of your unfortunate run-in with the Naaru. I believe the Paladin also had a run-in with the aforementioned Naaru when trying to slay it to avenge you. What would you have us do, priest?"

Tyan blinked a few times, "He tried to slay the Naaru to avenge me? That stupid idiot." He imagined a completely mundane Zan trying to punch a creature of pure light, put his face in his hands, and just laughed.

Iviaen close his book and asked again, "What would you have us do, priest?"

"Ah, that idiot." Tyan calmed his laughter, "Could you, sit in and observe exactly what sort of strange things go on in that room at night? Help me figure out exactly what is happening."

Dalaen chimed in, "We don't particularly want to see what the two of you do in your room at night."

Tyan slammed his hands on the table near Dalaen, "That's not funny, Warlock."

Dalaen jumped at the slam, "I thought it was hilarious."

"That's enough." Iviaen rose from his seat at the table, "We will observe you tonight. Come wake us when you are going to bed."

Tyan stood up straight and turned his full attention to the mage, "Thank you Magister."

Dalaen sighed, bookmarked his page, closed his book and set it on the table, "If you will excuse us, we need to sleep so we can be up all night observing you." He shot Tyan a mocking smirk.

Tyan glared at Dalaen, unamused by the mockery, and then left the room with a "Thank you" as he shut the door behind him.

That night, Iviaen and Dalaen sat in chairs by the door in Ty and Zan's room, using glowing green crystal necklaces to read books in the otherwise dark room.

After several uneventful hours, Tyan's body began to glow and levitate out of the bed.

Iviaen and Dalaen moved closer for a better look.

Tyan's eyes moved wildly beneath his eyelids which fluttered slightly, he let out an occasional sound.

"What's wrong with his eyes?" Dalaen asked. What a living being's body does during sleep wasn't in his usual range of study.

Iviaen smiled at Dalaen, "He's dreaming."

"And glowing." Dalaen reached out and touched Tyan's hand then pulled his hand away in pain, the light burning his palm, "Motherfucker! He's burning up."

Tyan began to flail and cried out nonsensical noises of distress. Iviaen stepped back for his own safety but Dalaen wasn't as aware. One of Tyan hands swung and struck Dalaen.

Dalaen stumbled back and covered his left eye, "That bastard priest."

"You deserved that." Iviaen chuckled and moved over to Zan's bed. He shook Zan until he woke, "Zan. Tyan is having an episode, as we discussed earlier, can you do exactly what you did last night?"

Zan got out of bed, grabbed the floating Tyan by the arms, pulled him over and hugged him. Zan's body markings shimmered, he unknowingly absorbed Tyan's excess light emissions, the levitation stopped and the room went dark except for Dalaen and Iviaen's crystals and the sets of glowing green eyes. Zan laid Tyan back down in bed and tucked him in before returning to his own bed.

Dalaen stood by Tyan's bed, still covering an eye, "Awww, so cute. He used the power of love to help the priest."

Zan glared, "Quiet you! That's not funny."

"I think it's hilarious." Dalaen grinned, "But seriously, you did drain the excess light from him, and you did it like you were well practiced at it. I couldn't have done a better job myself."

"I didn't do anything of the sort, I just hugged him." Zan explained.

Iviaen rubbed his chin, "Curious indeed. But you glowed and then he stopped glowing. There was definitely some transference there." He moved for the door, "Zan, come see us tomorrow. I have some question for you."

Zan frowned, "Alright, but I didn't do anything wrong."

Dalaen left the room. Iviaen smiled from the doorway, "I know. Don't worry, just go back to sleep." He then too departed, leaving Zan alone in awkwardness.

The next day Zan came to see Iviaen and Dalaen after his Paladin training, still in his plain, extra heavy metal armor, which he wore to help build up physical strength. He clutched a circular shield and hammer in his hands.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked the mage, who was sitting at his regular table.

"Yes. Sit." Iviaen gestured to an empty chair that he and Dalaen had sat out at their table.

Zan shook his head, "I better stand. I don't want to break it."

"As you wish." Iviaen shook his head, "Zan, when you attacked that Naaru, what unfolded exactly?"

Zan's ears drooped, "I stole one of Leiah's swords and tried to hurt it. Next thing I knew I was surrounded by light and couldn't move. It talked to me in my head, maybe."

Dalaen, who had a black eye from Tyan sleep-slapping him, wrote notes on a piece of parchment; he asked the next question, "What did it ask?"

"Basically it asked what I wanted with it. I think it wanted to know why I was so stupidly attacking it. I told it that I wanted to avenge Tyan, whom it had killed." Zan fumbled with his hammer. "Then it told me Tyan wasn't dead but was not well and asked me what I wanted again."

Iviaen rubbed his chin, "Curious. And your answer was?"

Zan smiled weakly, "I told it I wanted to help him, because I'm supposed to protect him."

"And then?" Dalaen asked as he noted the comments on his parchment.

"It said very well. Then I felt agonizing burning, everything went black. Then I woke up, it was all just a hallucination." Zan looked towards the door, this was making him uncomfortable.

Iviaen picked up one of several small, dark grey colored chunks of metal from the table and chucked it at Zan. The metal hit his shield with a clang then remained attached to it.

Zan looked down at the metal, "What's this?"

"It's a magnet." Iviaen explained, "We have a theory about the nature of your draining spell. It'll be hard to demonstrate with you wearing that awful metal suit. Go get changed then return. Leave the shield."

"And take a bath, too. I can smell you from here, why didn't you get cleaned up first?" Dalaen added.

Zan's ears drooped and he set his shield on the table, "Sorry." He then took his leave to bathe and change his outfit. Iviaen removed the magnet from the shield.

Zan returned later in a red shirt and black pants with his hair still damp from bathing, he sat in the extra chair, "Is this better?"

"Much." Dalaen responded, looking up from his magic tome.

Iviaen handed two magnets to Zan, "Hold one in each hand. When you hold them so the two crosses on them are facing each other, they repel."

Zan held the magnets up, watching the two repel each other, unamused. He had handled magnets before. "And?"

"When Tyan encountered the Naaru it overloaded with light energy. He radiates it; it seems to get worse at times he's not awake. Think of him as a magnet, but with magic instead of magnetic force." Iviaen explained.

Zan struggled to imagine Tyan being a piece of metal. He looked at the magnets, "Okay?"

"Now being near a magnet doesn't do anything to a normal person like Dalaen or I." Iviaen held his hand up to the magnet he himself held. "But you, you do respond to that energy. You seem to absorb it."

Zan set the magnets on the table and crossed his arms, "Right."

Iviaen held two magnets, one positive in his left hand and one negative in his right hand. He opened the positive hand and let the magnet sit on his palm but held the negative one in place in his right. "Imagine that my left hand is Tyan and the magnet is his excess energy. My right hand is you. When you get close enough to each other, Tyan's excess energy jumps to you." Iviaen moved his hands closer together and the magnet hopped from his left hand to the one in his right.

"That kind of makes sense, but why me? Please don't tell me it's something stupid like love." Zan shot a glare at Dalaen who burst into laughter.

"No, no. We believe the Naaru altered your body to be more in tune with the light and to be the opposite polarity of Tyan, and that is why you effortlessly and unknowingly bring him out of being overloaded." Iviaen smiled and collected Zan's magnets.

Dalaen chuckled, "Opposites attract."

Zan glared at Dalaen, "Shut up."

"What? I was speaking literally about magnets. Stop being so insecure." Dalaen crossed his arms.

Iviaen glared at Dalaen, "Oh come on, stop teasing them. And take this down." He then turned his attention to Zan, "This, I would assume, had been going on long before Tyan sought our assistance?"

Dalaen readied his parchment and quill again.

Zan nodded, "He had been having nightmares since he made his return from the dead."

"He only just became concerned with it, did it get worse recently? Have there been any changes in routine?" Iviaen asked.

Zan thought for a second, "When he would have his bad dreams I'd sit by him and rest my hand on his forehead while he slept, it seemed to calm him."

Iviaen commented, "You were inadvertently draining his excess light energy."

Zan nodded, "One day he got angry with me because some nights I'd fall asleep in the chair. He told me not to touch him ever again or else. So I stopped."

Dalaen chuckled, "And so the power built up."

Zan nodded.

"You have been avoiding each other since your sister's joke, haven't you?" Iviaen frowned.

Zan nodded again, "I think so. I don't think either of us wants to be made fun of or antagonized."

"You're best friends, right?" Iviaen asked.

Zan nodded again, "Well, we were at one time. Then Youlie made that comment and things got weird. We just sort of occupy the same space now."

"You need to stop caring about the opinions of your sister and spend more time with your friend; it'd be beneficial to his health." Iviaen crossed his arms, giving Zan an authoritative look.

"Easier said than done when everyone, including your best friend himself, thinks you've got a thing for him." Zan retorted, shooting a glare at Dalaen.

"Sorry, I'll stop." Dalaen sighed.

"So what if you do?" Iviaen said.

Zan looked at Iviaen, "I don't. He's just my priest and it's my duty to protect him."

Iviaen rested his hands on the table, "That's just fine. And if there's something more there or if something more develops later, that's fine too."

Zan glared, "It's nothing."

"I'm just saying. It's no one's business but yours and no one has the right to judge you." Iviaen stared raised brow at Zan.

Zan bristled in annoyance, neck and even head hair slightly on end. He snatched his shield, stormed from the room, slammed the door and yelled, "You people are impossible!"

Iviaen and Dalaen exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"I think you may have hit a nerve there, Magister." Dalaen grinned, writing some closing notes on his parchment.

Iviaen shook his head and turned his attention to a book on the table, "I think you are right, Warlock."

"I give them a week." Dalaen commented then blew the ink on the parchment dry.

"Oh come on. Give them more credit." Iviaen opened his book to the bookmark.

"Two weeks." Dalaen rolled up the scroll.

"At least a month." Iviaen retorted.

"Care to make it a wager?" Dalaen chuckled and tied a string around the parchment scroll.

"One-hundred gold, Warlock, if you can manage it. And no interfering." Iviaen glanced at Dalaen.

Dalaen set a coin purse on the table, "You're on, Magister."

After Iviaen explained everything, Tyan and Zan went back to being inseparable best friends, in spite of the occasional teasing.

In time, months later, Zan did develop feelings beyond just reverence and friendship for the priest. And Tyan, who had been so teased about it was mentally prepared, was not startled by Zan's feelings and eventually reciprocated.

In secret, Zan used the jewelry making skills to craft two rings of commitment which he and Tyan wore on thin chain necklaces hidden under their shirts.

Eventually the rest of the household became acutely aware of the duo's feelings and after some mockery a majority of them got over it. All except Zan's sisters.

One day, Leiah and Youlie came to see Zan and Tyan.

"Is it true, Zan? Are you really in a relationship with this" she struggled for the right word to call Tyan, "... Priest?"

Zan sat cross-legged on Tyan's his bed, arms crossed, Tyan sitting beside him. "Yes, sister. Yes I am. Is there a problem?"

Youlie growled, "You're unbelievable! And selfish."

Tyan glared at Youlie, "If it weren't for the two of you meddling this probably wouldn't have happened. Don't blame us you witch."

Leiah gave Tyan an inquisitive look, "Our fault? How is it our fault?"

Zan bowed his head, "You told me that my priest was my responsibility, that it was my job to take care of him, protect him, and give him anything he needed."

"You know damn well that's not what I meant when I said anything Zan." Leiah crossed her arms.

"I never took it that way; we just became close because you told me to take care of him." Zan explained.

"And you." Tyan glared at Youlie, "You planted the idea in our head. Neither of us had even considered it until you started teasing us. You made us this way too."

"By pointing out what everyone else already knew? As if. You're delusional, Priest." Youlie glared back.

Zan crossed his arms, "Really, it's none of your business. It doesn't concern you."

Leiah glared at Zan, "Yes, it is my business."

"Oh, how is that, dearest sister?" Zan asked sarcastically.

"Because, you dumb idiot, you are the only living male in the family and the only one that can pass on the family name, and you've gone and made this, this, this" She pointed at Tyan.

"Priest." Tyan rolled his eyes at Leiah.

"Priest your bed partner." Leiah huffed. "How are you supposed to woo a girl, marry her, and have a son if you are too busy with this girly man of yours? It's extremely selfish."

Zan frowned, "It just happened. I'm sorry I won't be giving you a nephew, but I'm not at all sorry it happened."

Youlie crossed her arms and scowled, "You should be sorry, you selfish idiot."

Tyan's face lit up. He whispered something to Zan.

Zan huffed, sat upright, puffed his chest and lifted his chin, "If I'm the only one who can produce an heir, if I'm the oldest male in the household that makes me the head of household. As head of household, I declare this topic over; there will be no more discussion. If you don't like my choice in a partner you are free to get out of my house."

Leiah and Youlie just stared slack-jawed at Zan; they hadn't ever seen him be assertive before, not like that.

Zan pointed to the door, "Now get out of my sights while I'm still willing to let you stay here."

Youlie just stood there; she crossed her arms and glared, defiant of her brother's grab for authority.

Leiah, on the other hand, grabbed Youlie by the arm and dragged her from the room with a begrudging, "As you wish... brother." She closed the door behind them.

Zan remained in his rigid posture for a few minutes before slumping down and beginning to sob.

Tyan gave Zan a smile, "Don't cry. You actually stood up to them and their bullying. Be proud."

Zan muttered between sobs, "But they're my family and they don't approve, and for a very valid reason."

"If they really care about you, and I think they do, they'll get over it." Tyan rested a hand on Zan's shoulder.

Zan looked up at Tyan, "You really think so?"

Tyan nodded, "Yes."

Zan leaned over and wrapped his arms around Tyan, burying his face in the Priest's shoulder.

Tyan hugged him back and rested his chin on Zan's head, "Everything will be just fine. Just stay strong."

Zan whispered, "Thank you."


	16. Bonus 6: Heirless

_Bonus: The Pyranor sisters and Miasal find out what's in __**the book**__._

* * *

**Heirless**

The women were in the kitchen. In any other household this might be normal, but not this household.

Leiah, the oldest sister of the Pyranor family, sat in the chair at the head of the dinner table; she clenched a mug filled with an alcoholic beverage in her hands. She had shoulder-length copper colored hair, freckles across her face, was wearing a black shirt and pants under brown vest.

Youlie, the younger sister, paced back and forth. She wore black tinted leather armor and an eye patch over her right eye. The right half of her freckled face was scarred down to the bottom of her face from the injury that cost her eye. Her hair was up in pigtails and she wore large hoop earrings.

"Willing to let us stay?" Youlie paced. "He said that as if he would kick us out. He wouldn't actually do that, would he?"

Leiah stared at her mug, "...Brother is very, uncharacteristically, angry right now. I wouldn't be surprised if he was actually serious."

"It's that awful priest making him act that way. Brother has no right to be angry. What does he have to be angry at anyhow? It's not like we have wronged him in any way." Youlie continued.

"We technically chastised him for his choice in significant other." Leiah responded.

"Leiah, we survived the zombie apocalypse, one in ten of our people were wiped out. We were lucky that the three of us survived. You said it back then, that our people need to be making babies." Youlie sat down and grabbed a full mug from the table.

"Yes, but we aren't off making babies, why should he be? We aren't exactly leading by example here." Leiah sighed.

Youlie laughed, "Yeah, but we could if we wanted. I mean, our house is a regular sausage-fest. If we wanted one of the men around here we could get them without much effort."

Leiah laughed, "The men around here?"

"Danil, Dalaen, Kemnebi, Miastal and Iviaen are all bachelors if I'm correct." Youlie took a sip of her drink.

"Iviaen's too... bookish and maybe even too old, Dalaen is way too creepy. Kem'd probably shoot you, and would you really go for someone related to Tyan?" Leiah snickered.

"Dani's actually pretty sweet." Youlie defended, "It isn't his fault his uncle is a freak."

Leiah flashed a devious grin at Youlie.

Youlie leaned back in her seat, "Oh don't give me that look! You aren't going to get us together. Besides, that's not what is important here. What is important is we need to fix our brother so he can pass down the family name."

Leiah sighed, "How are we going to make him not like his priest and like some lady instead? Just thinking about it makes me feel like a massive bitch."

Dalaen and Iviaen walked into the kitchen just in time to hear a response from Youlie.

"We find a girl that likes two dudes at once and then convince them to give it to her." Youlie thought out loud.

"But what makes you think Zan will stick it in her? Or Tyan for that matter?" Leiah asked.

Iviaen, the white haired mage in red and gold robes, dropped his book to the floor in shock at the comment.

Dalaen, the auburn haired warlock in dark red robes, blinked. His jaw dropped, "Whaaa?"

Youlie looked over at the men in robes and set her mug on the table, "You. Iviaen, can you make some magic charm to make my brother like girls instead of Tyan? Or turn Tyan into a fertile girl for a year?"

Iviaen picked the book up off the floor, "Nope and nope. Why even ask me that? I'm not going to interfere with young love, even between two men."

Youlie was displeased, she turned her attention to Dalaen, "Warlock, do you still have that control spell on them?"

Dalaen shook his head, "No. I removed it long ago. Even if I managed to put it on successfully again I would have to be mentally involved in forcing your brother to do someone and the idea of doing something that creepy made me feel ill just thinking about it."

"You two are useless." Youlie sighed.

Dalaen sat at the table while Iviaen hunted down a snack.

"Mage, Warlock, what do you propose we do about Zan and Tyan and the Pyranor family being heirless?" Leiah asked.

Dalaen pondered out loud, "Well you could find a man and make a few of your own. I'd offer but I'm not a fan of short, cycloptic and soulless."

Youlie glared at Dalen, "No way. And even if I changed my mind I wouldn't do you even if you were the last elf in Quel'thalas."

Iviaen sat down at the table with two pastries and handed one to Dalaen. He added his input, "If you are unwilling to make sacrifices then why expect others to make them? Like it or not your brother has found that someone and I'm sure everyone in this room knows full well just how much he loves that person."

"But he doesn't need to love her or even like her; he just needs to stick it in her until she pops out a boy. She can live here until the baby doesn't need her milk then leave if she doesn't want to stick around or stay indefinitely." Youlie glared at Iviaen.

Dalaen fake-coughed at Iviaen, "We should tell them."

Iviaen took a bite of his pastry then, with his mouth full, mumbled out, "I don't know about that. Probably not a good idea."

Leiah looked at the two and raised a brow, "Tell us what?"

Iviaen swallowed and shook his head, "Oh. Nothing."

Youlie glared at the mage, "Spill it."

Dalaen got up and went upstairs to retrieve a particular book. He let out a mischievous cackle as he did.

"Alright. Don't be mad, please." Iviaen sighed, "Your brother is not the first male in your family to be attracted to a member of his own gender."

Leiah raised a brow and clenched her mug, "What?"

Iviaen bowed his head, "Your father quite fancied a member of his own gender."

Youlie glared, "How? He was married to mom and had children."

"But was he around a lot in the last twenty years of his life?" Iviaen explained.

"No, he was busy at work." Youlie was extremely skeptical.

"His partner was a fellow priest. They worked closely together and one lonely night when they were abroad in Stormwind things happened." Iviaen sank down in his chair.

Dalaen sat down with THE book in his hands; he set it on the table. He grinned and watched the awkward unfold.

Leiah gave Iviaen a skeptical look as well, "And you know this how, mage?"

Iviaen pointed to the book in front of Dalaen, "We found a sealed diary. We couldn't resist opening it. We started reading it and..." He trailed off for a moment before snapping back to reality, "It was disturbing but we just couldn't stop."

Miastal walked in and grabbed a pastry from the counter then at down at the table beside Youlie.

"And how do you know it's really his and not just made up?" Leiah was confused but still skeptical.

Dalaen answered, "We verified the penmanship against other documents he had forged. It is legitimate."

Youlie was looking mildly disgusted at this point. She asked, "Okay then tell us who our father's supposed man mistress was?"

Dalaen flashed Youlie a sadistic grin, "His name was Nolan. He was a High Priest." He then lifted an index finger, "Wait for it."

Miastal coughed on his pastry and looked up at Dalaen with wide eyes.

Leiah gave Miastal a funny look and set her empty mug on the table, "What's with you?"

Miastal shook his head in disbelief then squeaked out an answer, "He's talking about my dad."

Leiah blinked, "What? Are you kidding me?"

Youlie reached over and grabbed the book. She opened it up and started reading. Her facial expression went from skeptically annoyed, to annoyed, to wide-eyed, to confused, to completely disturbed in a matter of minutes. She closed the book and twitched, "I think I'm going to puke."

Iviaen commented, "And we found Nolan's own secret journal and the dates and events correspond perfectly."

Miastal took the book from in front of Youlie. He became grossed out after reading the first few pages, "That's more than I wanted to know about my dad's sex life."

"As you can see, either these urges may have been passed down by your fathers to your brothers. That or Pyranor men are attracted to tall, light-haired, and holy-cranky and Sunbrands to red haired folks who express an interest." Dalaen commented.

Iviaen added, almost being scientific about it, "In spite of the overly-revealing nature of the books we did gain some insight into what life is like for someone with those preferences. It is why we are more accepting of your brothers than you seem to be."

Youlie stared at Iviaen in disbelief, "Like what?"

"They loved each other very much and very genuinely. But they also cared deeply about their families, including your mothers whom they eventually told. They kept it a secret because they didn't want any of you to deal with the awkward situation in your youths." Iviaen elaborated.

Dalaen added, trying to hold back a sadistic grin, "And apparently copulation between two males can be enjoyable for both parties."

Miastal was confused, "How does that even work?"

Youlie leaned over and half-whispered to Miastal, "One sticks it in the other's pooper."

Miastal's eyes glazed over, his little mind was overloading again. Youlie just snickered.

Leiah reached over and finally took the book. She opened it up, prepared for the disturbing details that awaited her. She did not become nearly as disturbed as the others.

To make the situation more awkward Zan and Tyan came into the kitchen and started preparing dinner for everyone.

Tyan looked around the room at everyone, "Good evening." He raised a worried brow at Miastal and gave him a good shake.

When Miastal woke up he looked at Tyan and asked the most awkward question, "Do you ever stick it in Zan's pooper?" He was unaware of everyone else being there quite yet.

Tyan raised another brow and turned a bit flush, "Wh-what?"

Zan blinked and dropped his pots and pans in a clatter. He stared; face red with a brow raised before crouching down and collecting his cooking tools from the floor.

Dalaen just cackled at the situation.

Tyan regained his cool and attempted to respond as gracefully as he could, "Little brother. While we appreciate your curiosity about our relationship, those details are best kept private."

Miastal blinked, "Did I ask that out loud? I'm so sorry."

Tyan cleared his throat and gave the sisters and caster men a glare, "It's quite alright brother." He then went to assist Zan in cleaning the dropped cooking tools.

The group sat in awkward silence and one by one dismissed themselves from the table.

The next evening the sisters visited the casters in their makeshift study.

"Warlock, Mage, you wanted to see us?" Leiah asked as she walked into the room.

Youlie slipped in behind her, closed the door, and leaned on it.

"We have been researching and may have found a suitable compromise for your heirlessness." Iviaen answered, not even bothering to look up from his book.

"Suitably unpleasant all around." Dalaen flashed another sadistic grin.

Youlie rolled her eye, "Really? I was just going to hire some people to help break them up."

Iviaen sighed, "I doubt that would work, if anyone found out about it there'd probably be hell to pay and if by some chance you succeeded you would probably feel guilty about it for the rest of your life."

"Nope." Youlie retorted, "I wouldn't feel guilty about correcting something useless and unnatural."

Iviaen continued, choosing not to acknowledge Youlie any further, "We were thinking the fairest way to solve your problem would be for one of you to make a sacrifice in your own lifestyle instead of expecting your brother to make all the sacrifices."

"Explain, Mage." Leiah crossed her arms, displeased so far.

"One of you should be the surrogate mother. After the youth is able to eat solid food you can go back to your regular life." Iviaen explained.

"Are you saying one of us should have sex with our brother?" Youlie looked disgusted.

Dalaen laughed at Youlie's squick, "No, with his priest."

Youlie shook her head, "Like that's any better."

"There may be methods of impregnation without having to put it in, our research has found mentions of such things." Iviaen explained, "Regardless, the reason for having one of you two do it is because you both share the same parents with your brother. While you are not identical you are the closest thing to female version of your brother there is. He could say that the offspring was his child and no one would be the wiser. Likewise, with Tyan being the other donor it means that the offspring would also be his and would have some of his features. It would be a legitimate offspring of your two families."

Leiah crossed her arms, "Why do I feel like I'm going to get stuck doing this?"

Dalaen shot a grin at Leiah. He then became more serious, "Because you are the responsible one. Because deep down you are concerned about others and their happiness."

"..." Leiah stared blankly at Dalaen. He was right and she knew it, "I'm not ready for such an undertaking."

Iviaen laughed, "Your brother probably isn't either. You have plenty of time to prepare."

"So why, mister Mage and Warlock, do you support my brother so much? Is it because you're like him and that priest?" Youlie quizzed the duo.

Dalaen burst into laughter, "Aha. No."

"Both of us like ladies, but specific types. Types which you two are not." Iviaen explained.

Youlie rolled her eyes and let out a sarcastic, "Suuure you are."

"I like my ladies tall, dark haired, bookish, with lots of leg and glasses." Iviaen explained, "And Dalaen here, he likes his ladies a little more curved."

"If I wanted to date something with the proportions of a young man I'd date a young man." Dalaen shot Youlie a condescending grin.

"Eeew. You like fat women?" Youlie looked grossed out.

"Have you ever taken a good look at the backside of a female Orc? Light damn, that beautiful amazing ass." Dalaen elaborated, still grinning. It was unclear if he was being serious or just messing with the sisters' heads.

"Orcs? Really?" Youlie raised a brow.

Iviaen joined in, "Not just Orcs. I can't take him to thunder bluff or he'll go after some free ranged Tauren. It's udderly disturbing." He snickered at his own pun.

Leiah sighed, "I swear to the light if you ever do that again Mage I will be introducing your face to my shield."

"Understood." Iviaen replied, "So about that thing. If you are willing to go through with it you should tell your brother that you would be willing to act as a surrogate should he and Tyan ever want to..." he thought for a moment, "make little light-wielders."

"Little light-wielders, ha." Dalaen snickered.

Several hours later Leiah knocked on the door to Zan and Tyan's room.

"Come in." Zan called out.

Leiah took in a deep breath then entered, unsure what sort of activities her brother might be engaging in. She clicked the door shut behind her.

Zan sat on the bed wearing silky white sleep clothing consisting of pants and a button-up shirt. He sat beside Tyan who was lying on his side half curled into a ball with one side of his face nestled into a pillow. He stroked Tyan's face gingerly with the back of his fingers.

She relaxed some; he wasn't actually doing anything too terrible. "I know you don't want to talk about this but hear me out Zan."

Zan yanked his hand away from the resting Tyan's face and his calm, relaxed facial expression grew annoyed, he stared at his sister, "What."

Tyan sat up on one elbow, sleepy. He gave Zan a pleading look.

Zan caught the look, reached over and ran his hand through Tyan's hair.

Leiah took another deep breath, "I just wanted you to know that if you and Tyan ever want little light wielders that I'm willing to be a surrogate. And the Mage said it might be possible without me having to have direct relations with your priest." She walked to the door and opened it, "That's all I wanted to say."

Zan looked to Tyan and responded to his sister, "… Thank you. We'll consider it someday, but not anytime soon."

Leiah slipped out, she called out, "I'm not in a rush either" as she closed the door.

Zan asked Tyan, "What do you think of that?"

"Not now, maybe later." Tyan yawned then continued, "Though it's nice it means enough to her that she is willing to make sacrifices."

Zan thought about it for a moment, "Yeah, it is."

Tyan lay back down, "Come to bed."

Zan leaned over and blew out the candle on his bedside table then climbed under the covers. He moved close to Tyan and Tyan rested his head on the soft spot between Zan's shoulder and chest. Zan ran his fingers through Tyan's hair and said, "Goodnight my priest."

"Goodnight."


	17. Bonus 7: The Tragic Engineering Accident

_Bonus: This one is rather silly. What happens if your engineering "evil twin" never despawns?_

* * *

**The Tragic Engineering Accident**

The art of tinkering was a common practice in the household; Dalaen, Miastal, Kemnebi, and Zan were all practitioners.

It became Zan's quest to create a device that any of the residents could use to teleport back to home. They had all used the technology before, complete with strange and startling side effects like being a different race, or gender, or having a doppelganger spawn with them, but all of these things, no matter how humiliating, would end in time and things would return to normal.

There was one problem with the device, it lacked sufficient power. The number of power cores the device took to use was unreasonable and expensive, not convenient or worth using for anything other than emergencies.

Zan got an idea and collected some of the Magister's enchanting crystals and retrofitted them as a power source. After initial testing, Zan used the device and appeared a few feet away on the arrival platform along with a doppelganger. Zan paid the copy no mind, nor did Dalaen or Miastal.

Kemnebi sat perched on a work counter and stared blankly at the ganger, bow and arrow aimed. The ganger stared blankly back at him it even made eye contact briefly.

After a few hours, the ganger sat down. Everyone had moved on to things like rest and supper, everyone but Kem.

Kem raised a brow, he had not seen a copy sit like that before, or make eye contact, or remain for more than an hour. He sat, unsettled, training his weapon on the ganger the entire night.

When the next day came, Dalaen peered at Kemnebi and then at the now laying copy, "It's still here, eh?"

Kemnebi nodded then wandered off to sleep.

Several hours later Zan, Dalaen, and Miastal all stood over the teleporter, staring at the sleeping copy.

"I don't think it's supposed to still be here." Zan said.

Miastal worried, "What if it doesn't fade away?"

"It will fade away; this one is just more persistent than usual. The power source is potent." Dalaen seemed unconcerned and went about his business.

Zan reached out and gave the copy a poke in the face. It awoke and looked blankly at him, "Maybe it's feeding on our attention or physical presences."

The trio went about their business and Kemnebi eventually joined them. Dalaen instructed Kemnebi to avoid the copy and not stay up all night watching it.

When everyone else had gone to bed, Kemnebi deliberately disobeyed orders and crept close to the laying ganger. He sat it up and examined it closely.

He frowned when he noticed the confused-looking copy's eyes were sunken in. He pinched the copy's face and when the skin did not immediately return to normal he made a grunt, picked the copy up, and bounded off to his room with it. He shut his door and locked it.

Kemnebi laid the copy down on his bed and carefully removed its plate armor, leaving it in the soft clothing it was wearing underneath. After he had removed the armor he sat the copy up and used a waterskin to pour water into its mouth.

The copy sat there with water in its mouth so Kem rubbed its throat until it swallowed the water. Kem continued to water the copy until he figured the copy's stomach was full of water. He then positioned the copy so it was laying half-sat up in bed, Kem slept on the floor. The copy didn't fade away during the night.

In the following days, Kem took his meals to his room and fed most of the food to the copy instead of eating himself, he remained in his room instead of going out except for food. He snuck the copy to the bath and bathed him at night when others were sleeping.

After noting Kem's hermit-like behavior and taking a second helping of food, Zan became concerned and knocked on Kem's door. "Kem, are you alright? Open up."

Kem looked around then hopped to the door, opening it only slightly.

"What's wrong, friend? Are you sick?" Zan asked.

Kemnebi shook his head then pushed the door closed.

Zan put his hand in the door as Kem closed it, intentionally letting Kem squish his fingers. He yelped in pain and Kemnebi stopped and let the door open.

Zan clenched his injured hand in his uninjured hand and peered at Kem, "What's gotten into you?"

Kem's ears drooped, he pointed at the copy in his bed.

Zan looked between the copy and Kem, "Oh. Kem, we told you to let it be. It'll never fade away if you keep powering it."

Kemnebi puffed up and moved into Zan's personal space, he stood up straight, looked Zan right in the eyes and forced out a soft, "No." He immediately moved away from Zan, crouching beside the copy.

Zan blinked a few times and stared at Kem disbelief, "You spoke? You actually spoke." He moved to Kem's side, "I suppose you feeling strongly about this is a huge understatement?"

Kemnebi nodded. He gripped Zan's hand and held it up to the copy's neck. The copy had a pulse. He moved Zan's hand to the copy's chest. The copy's chest rose from breathing.

Zan stared at the copy then looked at Kem, brow furrowed, he forgot about his own pain.

Kemnebi drew an arrow from his quiver and stabbed it into the soft flesh of the copy's index finger.

The copy yelped and awoke, looked around. It seemed confused and stared back and forth between Zan and Kem.

Kemnebi held the copy's hand up to Zan and gave his finger a squeeze; blood came out of the wound. Kem put pressure on the prick-wound and glared at Zan. He grunted another word, "Alive."

Zan took the copy's hand and preformed a small healing spell. "So this copy is conscious, he sleeps, he feels pain, he bleeds, he breathes and he has a heartbeat. Is it safe to assume he eats, drinks, and creates waste?"

Kem nodded.

"So all that extra food you've been taking is for this copy." Zan asked, glancing back at Kem.

Kemnebi nodded again.

"And you think this copy isn't going to fade away, right?" Zan asked and rubbed his chin in contemplation.

Kemnebi nodded again then crossed his arms.

Zan moved away from the bed and out the door, "Kem, if I may. I need some time to take this all in." He slipped from the room and shut the door.

Zan went to the mage's room. Tyan sat at the study table with Dalaen and Iviaen. Zan addressed the priest, "My priest, we have a terrible problem and I really need your advice."

Tyan closed his prayer book and peered at Zan, "What is it?"

Zan frowned, "You know that lingering copy I told you about? The one we thought was finally gone?"

Tyan nodded, "Yes."

"It's not gone. It's in Kemnebi's room, and Kem says the copy is alive." Zan looked unsettled.

Dalaen glanced up at Zan, "Said?"

Zan nodded, "He said the word alive. He poked it with an arrow and it reacted as if it felt pain, it bled. He showed me it had a pulse and breathes."

Tyan rose from his seat, "It sounds like the ranger may be correct, I would call that alive."

"Can any of you do anything to see if it thinks and has a soul? Because if it does then we might have another permanent resident." Zan looked back and forth between the three.

Iviaen stood, "Just what is your teleporter made of that it created a whole new living being?"

Dalaen also got up, "You know, this might not be a bad thing. If this copy of you is indeed going to stay around, you might have a suitable candidate to pass on the Pyranor family name."

Tyan shook his head.

Zan led the three casters to Kem's room and they gathered around the copy.

"Well, Zan, he certainly looks like you." Iviaen said.

The copy looked inquisitively at Iviaen.

The mage raised a brow; he leaned over and whispered something to Dalaen.

Dalaen said one single word, "Zan."

The copy looked to Dalaen.

Iviaen said, "Zan."

The copy looked at Iviaen.

The two casters went back and forth five times, the copy looking between them.

Zan bowed his head, "He knows my name."

Tyan leaned forward and rested his hands on the copy's temples, "It's his name too." He delved into the copy's mind. Under a minute later he snapped back to reality. "This Zan is not a perfect copy, but he has a soul and is very much alive. It lacks the real Zan's memories, he is a physical copy with knowledge of its name, a few basic words, and that's it. It is essentially an infant in an adult body."

Iviaen grinned at the real Zan, "Congratulations, it's a boy. What will you name him, dad?"

"They grow up so fast." Dalaen chuckled.

Zan put his face in his palms. "His name is Zan, that's clear."

Dalaen glanced at Zan, "What, exactly, did you put in the teleporter to power it?"

"I used the magic shards I got from Iviaen." Zan explained.

Kemnebi gave Zan a look of disbelief.

Dalaen blinked, "That's some kind of a joke, right?"

"No. I seriously did." Zan became confused.

""You stupid idiot. Never use magic things to power things like that." Dalaen grumbled and pointed at the copy, "Well this will help remind you to never do it again.

Iviaen muttered and wandered off. He went down to the teleporter and used fire magic to burn it to ash.

Tyan peered at copy-Zan in profound contemplation. He spoke up, "It would be unethical to have an infant sire an infant. But, in a few years this copy could be ready to sire a few young of his own. I think we should call him Junior."

Zan just shook his head, "Well, Zan Junior it is."

Junior looked between everyone, hopelessly confused.


	18. Bonus 8: The Monkening

_Bonus: How Danil Sunbrand went from Rogue to Monk. This one is reaaaally looooong and held up the publishing of the rest of the story for forever. This has lots of Pandaren._

* * *

**The Monkening**

Danil Sunbrand, a tall thin waif of a young adult Sin'dorei, only a few years into adulthood, with short blonde hair, was the son of a Priest and a Priestess. Almost everyone in his immediate family, back a few generations, were all Priests. In his youth Danil was trained on the path of the Priest but when he became old enough to make his own decisions he changed his path.

Danil followed the footsteps of his grandfather on his mother's side and joined the Fatstriders as a scout (a Rogue) and was absolutely terrible at it.

He lacked a certain style of finesse and tact required of scouts, such as being stealthy and quiet while gathering information. There were times when he was stealthing when those he was spying on would say something that he had to share his opinion on, or react to. Along with his impulsiveness he was also impatient, waiting quietly for someone to show up to observe was out of the question.

In combat he was moderately effective with swords, maces, and axes, effective with daggers, but often found his strongest performance was with fist weapons. He loved to punch things.

His mentor had tried to switch him over to training in one of the other areas covered by the Farstriders but he was not adept at bows and could not handle the weight of plate armor. His mentor tried to hand him off to the Blood Knights who responded with a resounding "No." His mentor was stuck with a terrible choice, to allow Danil to become a full-fledged Farstrider and be put into potentially dangerous situations or to reject him and shatter his hopes and dreams.

He had been held back in his training for several years without fuss or dramatics. Danil had the belief that because he started late he would have to train harder and longer than others just to be caught up. He believed he could do it if he tried hard enough long enough.

When his mentor finally settled upon ejecting Danil from training a voice spying from the shadows chimed in. It was the full-fledged Farstrider Youlie Pyranor, Danil's housemate, who had overheard the plan to let him go, objected. She had overcome the loss of an eye and made it through training and believed that Danil, too, could overcome his handicaps if given enough time.

She proposed that she continue his training while they let him become a full member and to save him for missions requiring direct combat rather than stealthy finesse until she could get his skills in that area sharpened. She would, of course, babysit him in the field and make sure he didn't get himself killed.

Reluctantly the mentor and senior in charge of Danil's unit agreed and Youlie began training Danil rigorously in the arts of sneaking and spying.

Youlie got the members of the household to opt into leaving their doors open unless there were matters of privacy afoot so Danil could practice stealthing unnoticed.

Unfortunately, Danil going unnoticed was virtually impossible. Every resident of the house seemed to detect Danil one way or another.

Danil tried observing Kemnebi, the black haired skittish non-speaking ranger who usually crouched on the railing on the second floor ramp, but got an arrow to the foot.

When Danil tried observing Zan and Tyan, the ginger Pyranor paladin and white haired Sunbrand priest, in the kitchen while they were preparing supper he grew disgusted by the hand holding, little kisses, and slightly flirtatious conversations. Impulsively from the shadows he blurted out "Get a room!" He was subsequently singed with holy fire.

He tried spying on the younger of his uncles, who was roughly the same age as him, Miastal and Junior, Zan's spawn, who were tinkering, but tripped over a mechanical cat that wandered in front of him and had a face-first collision with the floor. Miastal laughed at him, but Junior didn't grasp what was going on and gave him a confused stare.

Danil tried spying on Leiah, the elder Pyranor sister, while she was polishing her armor but failed to move fast enough when she walked to her desk for another container of polish. She was too close to where he was hiding and spotted him. She gave him a smack upside the head with her shield and sent him running.

When Danil tried spying on Iviaen the mage and Dalaen the warlock in their makeshift study he managed to go undetected even when the mage got close. Unfortunately when Iviaen blew dust off a book it blew right at Danil and he sneezed. Dalaen threw a book at him and hit him in the head.

Danil attempted to spy on the Snowdawns, the resident Death Knights, but was surprised to find that they spent much of their downtime sitting quietly. They were incredibly boring so Danil started moving around the room. He accidentally bumped into one of the Runeblade stands, sending the weapon clattering to the ground. He was met with a howling blast, the wet icy burst knocking him back to visibility and reducing him to a soaked, shivering, pathetic excuse for an elf.

Most of Danil's days of practice were like this.

One day Pandaren from the Wandering Isle appeared in Orgrimmar and began teaching members of The Horde the art of being monks.

The Farstriders took mild interest in the possibility of monks in their ranks, increasing the variety of their members without having to work with the clergy, the Magisters, or the Blood Knights (the latter two whom they were not too fond) had appeal.

They requested volunteers within their ranks to go and learn the ways of the monk. Danil's former mentor saw the postings and immediately thought of Danil's tendency towards direct close quarters combat, his punching things to victory and his lack of stealthy finesse. He mentioned it to the commander of Danil's unit and it was agreed upon that Danil should definitely go and try the way of the monk.

So Danil was sent summons to visit his commander. He arrived, excited, in full combat gear ready to go, "Commander. I'm here on your request, what is your assignment?"

Danil's mentor stood by the commander. The commander spoke, "Danil, we know you have trouble with stealth activities and have tried to utilize you as best we can without endangering your life. We know how badly you want to stay a Farstrider."

Danil frowned, his heart sank, "I have been working really hard and I've gotten a lot better." He pleaded.

"We have an assignment for you. We are sending a group of Farstriders abroad to train a new way of combat, the way of the monk, from the Pandaren that have taken up residence in Orgrimmar. We would like you to join the pioneer group. We feel it might be better suited for you than scouting." The commander continued.

Danil's ears drooped, "I... I like being a scout."

The commander sighed, "Please, consider this opportunity a chance to try and find yourself and your calling. If it doesn't work out you can always come back. We aren't dismissing you; we just want you to try something new."

"Can I have some time to think about this?" Danil bit his lower lip, ears still drooped.

"Yes. You have three days. The rest of the group is leaving at the week's end." The commander said.

Danil forced a smile, "Thanks for thinking of me. I'll know before then I just need to go talk to some people at home." He slinked off to home.

Once home Danil knocked on a door of someone he best felt could give him advice.

A voice called from beyond the door, "Come in."

Danil opened the door and slipped in, his ears were still drooped. He looked around the room.

He saw Zan, the ginger male Pyranor sibling, wearing a white high collared long sleeve shirt, black pants and no shoes. He was standing, with his eyes closed, between the bed and the desk channeling the light, strange patterns of light glowed across areas where his skin was not obscured by clothing.

Tyan, Danil's father's younger brother, sat on the bed in white Priest robes, holy book in his lap, also channeling the light with similar markings to Zan's.

Danil walked over to Zan, "Hey Zan. I'm sorry to bug you while you are practicing but... I really need some advice."

Zan turned his head and opened his eyes to peer at Danil. They glowed the yellow-golden color of holy power. He stopped channeling and they returned to their normal green color, then Zan asked, "You want advice from me?" Zan noticed Danil's drooped ears and generally dejected look, "What's wrong?"

Tyan stopped casting and peered at Danil, "Come sit, nephew. We'll listen."

Zan and Danil sat down on the bed, Zan beside Tyan, Danil next to Zan.

Danil looked down at the floor, "You might be aware that I'm really terrible at being a Farstrider scout. And that I try really hard and fail badly."

"Oh, you're not that bad, give yourself some credit." Tyan said, trying to be encouraging.

"I know that for a long time you, Zan, failed at everything you tried, that you know what it feels like. It's why I want your advice." Danil explained.

"Not sure if I should be flattered or offended. I'm happy to help though." Zan responded with a small grin on his face. It was true, before joining the Blood Knights he was relegated to running the family business because he had no useful talents.

"Today they told me they want to send me to Orgrimmar to go learn to be a Monk. I don't know if I want to. They said it might be my calling and that I should try it. They are sending a group of Farstriders to train and they want me to go too." Danil explained.

"So what's the problem?" Zan asked.

"I don't know if I want to give up on my scout training to go learn how to fight from fat pandas." Danil crossed his arms.

Zan bowed his head, "Do it, Danil. Seize the opportunity while you can and do so without regret. It couldn't hurt, and it may be something you're really good at." He rested a hand on Danil's shoulder, his voice waivered slightly with emotion, "As someone who struggled most of my life to find a calling I can't tell you enough how good it felt to finally find the right thing, to finally have a purpose."

A female voice, Youlie, chimed in, "I think it's a great idea Danil. My brother is right. You should go for it." She was stealthed somewhere in the room.

Danil stood up, "Alright. Thanks Zan, Uncle, Youlie. I'll give it a try." He saw himself out of the room. Youlie stealthed out after him leaving the light-wielders to their private time.

A few days later Danil was packing his belongings and items from a list into a pack to prepare for his trip. He shared a room with Miastal, his youngest uncle.

Zan knocked on the doorframe; he wore a brown leather vest over a red shirt and black pants. Zan had goggles up on his head and held three waterskins and a burlap sack in one hand and a metal canister-like device in the other, "I have things for your trip."

Danil wore loose fitted brown pants and a white, light weight long sleeve shirt and heavy brown boots. He looked up from his bag, "Thank you."

Zan walked over and sat down next to him, He handed Danil the water skins, "Durotar is a desert, always stay hydrated." He then held up the canister and pulled down three support legs, showing Dan how it stands, "Should you not have access to fresh water you can fill a skin with impure water and attach it and an empty skin to this device. Flip this lever and in a few hours the empty skin will be full of cleaned water." He pulled open a compartment, "Empty impurities from here." He opened another, "If it stops working pull these out and put new ones in" he gestured to the burlap sack, "Send the spent ones back to me and I'll send more. If you run out, take one to the goblins who teach engineering, they should have some to spare."

Danil took the things from Zan and put them in his pack, "Thank you... partner of Uncle."

Zan smiled, "It's almost time, are you ready?"

Dan stared down in his bag, "No. I'm scared. I don't really want to go."

Zan put a hand on Danil's shoulder, "Change can be frightening but it can also be good. Don't let your fear hold you back or ruin what could possibly be the best day of your life, the day you find your calling."

Danil forced a smile and a weak "Ok."

Tyan appeared in the doorway with a metal boot-flask in his hand, "It's time to go." He held the flask out to Danil.

Danil got up and put on his pack and walked to the door. He looked at the flask, "Alcohol?"

Tyan smiled, "It's sometimes called liquid courage. There's a keg of it on a roller downstairs for you to give to your instructors. I understand Pandaren like their alcohol."

Danil took a swig from the flask then slipped it in his boot, "I could use some courage about now." He walked down to the lower level, collected the wooden staff his list said to get, the rolling keg, and headed out the door. Zan and Tyan followed behind him for support.

They walked, slowly, to Farstrider Square where a few others were already waiting to depart.

Zan rested a hand on Danil's shoulder, "Well here you are. Remember, if you need anything, from advice to emotional support don't hesitate to go to Grommash Hold and speak to the Paladin trainer there. He's my uncle, tell him that I sent you, he'll understand."

Danil nodded, "Alright." He then set down his pack and sat down atop the keg to wait for their departure.

Several hours later Danil arrived in Orgrimmar. He dragged the keg over the dry, uneven ground as the group walked to the Pandaren camp.

He thought to himself as he walked past scorpions and dung beetles, "This place is a light-awful hell-hole."

When they arrived at the Pandaren camp Danil dropped the keg off with the Pandaren while their commander spoke with the Pandaren in charge about housing.

Danil caught several of the Pandaren staring at him and talking back and forth. Danil opened his mouth to say something to them but the Farstriders group was going to their quarters so he hurried along.

The quarters were a round hut-like building with a heated table in the center and a bunch of hammocks on the wall. Danil sat down on his bunk and thought, "I hate this place. I want to go home. "He stuck his belongings beside him on the hammock, took a swig from his boot-flask, and sighed.

The Farstrider trainees were given the rest of the evening off and Danil went wandering and found himself at the Pandaren camp. Once again some of the Pandaren were staring at him and talking among themselves. They thought the thin Blood Elves must be starving and looked upon them with pity.

Danil grew irritated and walked over to the staring Pandaren and confronted them, he asked them in Orcish, "What?"

In response to this one of the male Pandaren handed him a large bowl of noodles and vegetables. It had chopsticks and an oddly shaped spoon with a short handle in it.

Danil took the food and looked confused, "Um, thanks?"

The male Pandaren grabbed a bowl of his own and gestured Danil over to an area some others were already eating at.

Danil sat down on the wooden bench with the bowl in his lap. The Pandaren sat down beside him, to his right, ruffling the elf's hair as he did so.

"Hey!" Danil protested, "Not the hair!" He then ran his hand through his hair to return it to a tolerable state.

The Pandaren laughed, "Sorry."

Danil turned his attention back to the food. He was on an extremely strict diet to keep his weight down. His mother's side was a bit heavier than normal and he wanted to keep his typical elven physique. He didn't want to be rude so he decided to eat it anyways. He picked up a single chopstick, having never used them before he thought it was a long-handled spoon or something. He made a funny face at the wooden chopstick and wondered how the Pandaren expected him to eat with a stick.

The Pandaren watched him fuss with the chopstick for a moment before laughing, "No wonder you poor things are so thin. You don't even know how to eat." He reached over and guided Dan's hand into the properly holding the chopsticks, "Like this, little one."

Danil fiddled with the chopsticks and tried to eat. It was awkward and difficult but he managed to eat with them, though he probably looked pathetic doing so. He thought to himself, "Stupid fat Pandaren eating with stupid little sticks. Stupid desert. I hate this and want to go home."

After eating and drinking with the Pandaren he returned to the Farstriders' quarters and tried to climb into his hammock. It was a bit high for him; he struggled to get into it, wound up flipping it and landing on the floor with a thunk.

Some of the other Elves laughed at him.

Danil growled with both frustration and determination. He successfully made it into the hammock his second try and lay there thinking to himself, "Stupid hammock. Stupid building. Stupid desert, stupid Orcs making their city here. Stupid stick using Pandas. I should have just stayed a scout."

In the days that followed their training began. Sho the Wise instructed the group on philosophy as well as martial stances and basic conditioning.

Danil was always in the back of the group. As far from the eyes of the teacher as he could be. He was in fear that his tendency towards failure would be noticed.

When it became time to try new movements Danil was always the last to try. Usually he was afraid to try then decided at the last possible moment to just do it. His lack of confidence and impulsive reckless execution left him failing over and over like some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Sho was not fooled by Danil's hiding and had a reasonable suspicion about what was going on in Danil's little head that was causing failure. He allowed Danil to continue training.

Danil, being one of the smallest of the elves, was quite frequently the target of random food-giving from the local Pandaren. He had no idea they seriously thought he was starving.

One day Sho beckoned Danil over, "Dan Sun, your colleagues have all finished their initial training but you are still struggling."

Danil bowed his head, "I'm sorry Master Sho. I'm just not good at this Monk thing."

Sho gave Danil a gentle bonk on the head, "If one becomes overwhelmed by doubt their chance for success is doubtful."

Danil sighed, "Sorry sir."

"Dan Sun, take this box of scrolls to Huan Liu at the Peak of Serenity. Hand him this scroll. Perhaps he can help you where I cannot." Sho gave Danil the box of scrolls and the single scroll. "Use this charm to travel there." He handed Danil a charm.

Danil took the items and invoked the power of the charm and was spirited away to the Peak of Serenity, physically not just spiritually.

Danil shivered at the cold as he walked around saying, "Huan Liu? Huan Liu?" Eventually he was pointed to the proper Pandaren and walked up to him. "Um. Sir? Are you Huan Liu?"

"Yes." The Pandaren replied. He was an older male Pandaren whose black fur was turning grey and hair that had long since turned white. He was sitting in the snow meditating.

"Sho told me to give these to you." Danil said, offering the scroll and scroll box to Huan.

Huan took them and read the unboxed scroll. He looked curiously at Danil, "I see." He set the box of scrolls down beside him.

"Walk with me, Dan Sun is it?" Huan struggled to his feet then gestured for the elf to follow him.

"Danil Sunbrand." The elf replied and hurried after the old panda.

"Many years ago, before my fur began to turn grey I taught the ways to young Pandaren on the Wandering Isle, including Master Sho. I taught many a student, including those other masters deemed too difficult, some of young Sho's peers were troublemakers and defeatists whom I gave extra attention to. They flourished before your master's eyes. Your master has sent you to me for he feels you need guidance he does not know how to provide, and that I may have the wisdom to provide that guidance." Huan said, walking Danil to a snowy hill overlooking the ocean.

Danil nodded even though the panda couldn't see him, "I'm a real fuck-up, Master Liu. He was right to send me to you, but it'll take a miracle to help me."

"Then I will make you a believer of miracles, Dan Sun. Sho says you have great potential." Huan turned to the little elf, "But that you are inhibited by what's going on here." He pointed to Danil's forehead, then to his chest, "And here."

Danil raised a long, elven brow, skeptical, "If you say so."

Huan gestured to the snow, "Sit. Tell me of yourself, Dan Sun, so I may better understand what goes on in your head and your heart."

Danil sat down as if he were to meditate. He spoke, "I'm Danil Sunbrand. I'm a Sin'dorei, I was not born in the homeland of my people but after my mother died of illness my father brought me back to my ancestral home. I had been training to be a Priest like my parents were, but I chose to leave the order and join a group called the Farstriders as a scout."

"Ahh. A stranger among your own people, defiant of your family path. Did your father approve of your deviation?" Huan asked as he plopped down beside the elf.

"No. Not at all. He was disappointed but my mother used to tell me I could be anything I wanted. She used to tell me stories of her father. He was a great... fighter, not a Priest, a fighter. I chose my path to honor him, I admired him based on the stories I grew up with." Danil closed his eyes, this subject hurt.

"Did your father tell you that you would fail?" Huan questioned.

"He implied that I would come crawling back to service of the light when I realized it was my calling. We actually had a heated argument about it the morning on the day Quel'thalas fell. I said some pretty horrible things to him that I regret." Danil shivered and took a deep breath.

"Do not regret things said in the heat of the moment." Huan told the elf.

"I told him I hated him for not accepting me and my path." Danil sighed, "He died that day, I didn't even get to say goodbye. He died thinking his only son hated him." Danil looked out at the ocean, still shivering.

"Dan Sun, you seem to be a bright little one. It was likely that your father knew you did truly care and that your harsh words were out of frustration." Huan stood up and offered Danil a hand up. "Parents want what is best for their young and want their children to succeed. It was not out of malice that your father tried to keep you on the path following his footsteps, but out of love and perhaps a bit of closed-mindedness. Sometimes parents forget that their children are their own people and not simply copies of their parents."

Danil took the panda's hand and got to his feet, "You're probably right."

Huan laughed and ruffled Danil' hair, "Of course I'm right. I have several adult children of my own."

"Hey! Not the hair!" Danil stopped and ran his hand through his hair, working it back into its regular position.

Huan ruffled his hair again. Danil made a frustrated sound and fixed it again. This exchange happened several times; eventually Danil gave up and just let his hair be messed up.

"Come, little one." Huan began walking back towards a building up the hill, "I will tell you lessons to meditate on today. You can do them inside as you seem to be intolerant of the cold."

Danil crossed his arms and stomped after Huan, still worked up about his hair.

"First, do not dwell on the past and do not fret over things you cannot change. You said harsh things to your father, he knew you didn't mean them, but you must let them, and any words of discouragement he rebutted, go if you wish to succeed."

"...Right." Dan followed the Panda, incredibly skeptical.

"Secondly, you must convince your heart that your success here, or in anything you were discouraged from, does not dishonor your father's memory. Know in your heart he would be proud of your accomplishments no matter what you wind up doing." Huan paused and let the elf catch up to him then wrapped his arm over the elf's shoulder.

Danil sighed at this, in a completely bad mood.

"Meditate on the words "I can", think them at least a thousand times each day. They are truthful and you cannot succeed until you expel the lies of doubt from your heart and replace them with truth." Huan tried to encourage him as they continued towards the building.

"But it's the truth. I can't do some things, I'm not good enough. I've failed time and time again. It's a proven fact." Danil retorted.

Huan gave Danil a good bonk on the head, "He who believes himself weak makes himself weak. You have woven for yourself a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure, and it is not until you choose to think otherwise that you will be free from it." They were now in the building, several pandas were meditating there. "Meditate on those truths here until supper."

Danil plopped down on the floor, assumed meditation position and closed his eyes, "Fine."

Huan wandered off and returned several hours later, "Dan Sun, come, it is time to eat."

Danil enthusiastically got to his feet, sick of meditating, "Lead the way Master Liu." He walked to the Panda's side.

Huan led him to the dining hall. There at two long tables sat Pandaren as well as members from the Horde and the Alliance, including two of is Farstrider peers. Huan sat Danil down at a table with a few Alliance sitting on the other side a few seats over to the right.

Danil sunk down, trying to hide from the Alliance there. They were so close he could see the white in their eyes. He hoped they wouldn't notice.

The auburn haired male Human stared right at him then pointed him out to his blue haired Night Elf and black haired female Dwarf friends. They stared.

Huan returned and set an extremely full plate of food before Danil, and his own not so full plate on the table and sat down.

Danil nervously exclaimed, "The Alliance over there, they are going to kill me."

Huan laughed, "Dan Sun this is a place of peace. They will not harm you. If they do anything to you it'll be during a spar. You are safe. Sit up and eat."

Danil sat up and ate, casting uneasy glances at the staring Human and occasionally the other blood elves. When he was finished he excused himself and hastily left the dining area.

The Human and his friends followed.

Danil looked back, realizing he was being followed he broke into a run across the monastery. The Alliance trio gave chase, finding him when he hid, he kept bolting.

Eventually Danil found himself at the cliff side he had been meditating at before. The Alliance trio approached approaching him from all directions, he was cornered.

Dan turned and looked down at the ocean below. He thought he might survive the jump if he invoked the old Priest skill of levitation he had learned as a child. He closed his eyes and jumped.

The Human grabbed Danil by the shirt collar and held him dangling off the cliff. With the help of the Night elf and Dwarf they pulled Danil back to safety.

The Human spoke to him in Common, "You don't need to do that old friend."

Danil flailed, trying to get the Human to let go.

The Human walked well away from the cliff before letting Danil go. The Dwarf and Night Elf surrounded him.

Danil got a good glimpse at the female Dwarf and recognized her. He looked away from her then turned to face the Human and stared. He, too, was familiar. Danil looked incredibly nervous and looked around. One of the other Farstrders, an Orc, and a few Pandaren were nearby.

"Danil calm down, it' me, Cavil." Cavil was a Human in his thirties with shoulder length reddish brown hair, "You remember, right? Cavil McCreary? And that's Irma Goldhammer."

Danil started babbling a list of objects in his bedroom back in Silvermoon in Thalassian. He did his best dumb elf look. He could understand them just fine but if any of the Horde nearby found him having a friendly chat with the enemy he might find himself in trouble. If they were Garrosh loyal he might find himself executed for treason.

"I was in training to be a Paladin when you were working on becoming a Priest. Irma was a Priestess training too. We used to chase off the bullies that would hassle you." Cavil continued, "You remember, don't you?"

Danil kept babbling, looking dumb and terrified.

"Sit him down; let me see what's going on in his little head." Irma instructed. She was a female Dwarf with long black hair in a braid.

Cavil put his hands on Danil's shoulders and pushed down.

Danil dropped to his knees, still playing the scared babble routine.

Irma put her hands on Danil's temples and forced her way into his mind. She learned that Danil was acting the way he was out of fear of being killed for treason and alienation from his people. She released him and told the others, "He knows who we are but has a founded need for privacy. Doesn't want to be killed for treason."

Cavil thought for a second then said, "Fine. Meet us in the dining building at midnight."

Danil stopped babbling and stared at Cavil for a moment before he yelled in Orcish, "Help! I'm being attacked by Alliance!"

The large Orc walked over to them and shoved Cavil to the side, giving Danil an opening to bolt and bolt he did. The Orc growled at the Alliance, "Honorless Alliance scum, attacking that little elf three on one in a place of peace. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

Cavil looked at the Orc, not understanding what the Orc was saying, he said in Common, "Hey now. We weren't making any trouble we just wanted to talk to the scared little guy but he kept running from me."

"Are you threatening me? Do you dispute my honor?" The Orc asked in Orcish. He then hauled off and gave Cavil a fist to the head, knocking him out. The Orc then stormed off.

Cavil came to a few minutes later and sat up rubbing his head, "Why do I feel like I could have avoided that if I had taken that Goblin up on Orcish lessons?"

That night Cavil sat in the dark mess hall waiting, crouched beneath a table.

Danil arrived at the door, took a deep breath, closed his eyes, slid the door open and stepped inside. He exhaled and opened his eyes.

Cavil noticed the faintly glowing green eyes in the darkness and called out to Danil in common, "Psst. Over here."

Danil moved blindly in the direction of the noise. It took Cavil a few tries to guide the elf to them but soon he crouched under the table with the rest of them.

Cavil started talking in a hushed whisper, "Danil. Glad to find out you're alive. We knew you went back to your ancestral homeland. We thought you were killed in the razing. What happened?"

Danil replied in common, "I went home with my father. He died. I left the holy light and became a scout trainee for the Farstriders. I was in Silvermoon when the undead attacked. I fled with my uncles but my father died."

"I still don't understand why your people left the Alliance." Cavil commented.

"After we started to get a basic foothold on our land, Kael'thas gathered a group of us and we went to go assist the Alliance at Dalaran. My uncles and I were among those forces. We wound up working with a human Grand Marshall named Garithos." Danil explained. "First, he assigned us menial tasks but gave us no resources to complete these tasks."

Cavil listened intently; this was something he was unaware of.

"We were approached by a Naga named Lady Vashj who offered us boats so we could complete our menial tasks. Reluctantly Kael'thas accepted them. He was scolded for doing so. We were then told to fight an incoming force of undead. Garithos withdrew all of the forces except for our people. With no infantry it was a suicide mission. Vashj came to our aide again and we survived. Garithos charged us with treason, imprisoned us under Dalaran, and was going to execute every last one of us."

Cavil raised a brow.

"Lady Vashj showed up the night before our executions and saved us. We fought a defensive battle against Garithos' forces and fled with the Naga to the ruins of Draenor. It was there that we rescued and joined forces with Illidan Stormrage. Eventually, after my elder uncle was injured by a Naaru and declared dead we returned home to mourn."

"Is it because of what Garithos did that your people withdrew from the Alliance?" Cavil asked.

Danil took a thoughtful pause before speaking, "I am not sure. I'm sure he has a part in it, but being escaped war criminals charged with treason might also have something to do with it."

"Why the Horde though? I mean, aligning with savages?" Cavil questioned.

"The Forsaken are led by our former Ranger General, Sylvanas Windrunner. They became our allies and helped us when and where we needed help. They were part of the Horde so we wound up joining the Horde as well." Danil looked at the ground, "Some of them aren't as bad as they look. Thrall was a decent individual with the best intentions. The newer Warchief, though, Garrosh. He's oppressive and downright dangerous."

"Please please PLEASE tell me you had no involvement in Theramore." Cavil worried.

Danil laughed, "No way. I think a small few went that way because it was required but I heard that the commander sent with them was assassinated for talking ill of the Warchief." He grew grim, "Dissent is a crime punishable by death. It's madness."

Cavil frowned, "Is that why you got me punched in the face by that Orc?"

"Yes. Sorry about that, I didn't think he was going to strike you." Danil laughed a little. "You never know when you're being watched, and speaking freely to the enemy is probably even more treasonous than not agreeing with Garrosh's every whim."

"What did he say anyhow?" Cavil rubbed his head, he was still sore from the interaction.

"He told you to pick on someone your own size instead of attacking me three on one. Then he said something about you disputing his honor." Danil laughed a little more, "It's an Orc thing."

"You mentioned dissent. Do your Horde people disagree with what happened?" Cavil was fascinated by this Horde politics business.

"Many, such as my people, the Tauren, and the Trolls do not support him and think Theramore was a travesty. But many keep their feelings to whispers in fear of being executed for treason." Danil looked around, nervous. What if there was an agent spying on them right now? He let out a sigh of relief; an Orc probably wouldn't understand Common anyhow.

"Sounds like the Horde is being repressed. I didn't even think such a thing was possible." Cavil asked, "Do you think the people going to rebel?"

"I think there will be a civil war soon enough." Danil said, "Not all members of the Horde are bloodthirsty savages like Garrosh."

Cavil rested a hand on Danil's shoulder, "Well, old friend, I don't care if you're a member of the filthy Horde, you're still a friend and nothing is going to change that. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thanks. If it's alright with you, I need to get some sleep." Danil commented then let out a yawn.

Cavil yawned, yawns are contagious, "Yeah, sleep is a good idea. Goodnight friend."

The two went their separate ways and retired for the night.

In the days that followed Huan trained Danil, starting at the basics and working into advanced techniques and specializations. When Danil would fail at something, Huan would insist he keep doing it until he got it right. Danil also switched his attire to a uniform of the monastery and sandals.

But there was something missing. Danil's strikes were lifeless and uninspired. Sure, he went through the motions, but they didn't seem to come from the heart, he lacked the enthusiasm of other students. Worse, he struggled with chi, he was spiritually under-developed.

One day Huan led Danil to a cliffside hill where two kites had been laid out in wait. They had frames of bamboo, held together with leather straps. They had stylistic bird heads on the front, bleached leather as the kite body, and a paper lantern with feathers coming from it on the hind end.

Huan Liu gestured to the kites on the ground, "Sit, Dan Sun, on the kite."

Danil sat down on the kite, "So why are we doing this?"

Huan sat down on the kite next to Danil's, "You suffer from a crisis of faith so I am going to take you on a journey of discovery, inspiration, and hopefully spiritual growth."

"What does that have to do with sitting on kites?" Danil asked. Suddenly another Pandaren started pushing his kite off the ledge. "Hey! Stop that!"

Huan's kite was being pushed too, "Don't fear, little one, it is on these kites we will travel."

"Will these flimsy things even hold our weig—" He realized he was about to go off the cliff completely. "No!" Danil yelled as his kite was pushed off the cliff. He clung to the kite and squeezed his eyes shut, "I'm going to die!"

Huan laughed, "You're fine little one. Have faith that the wind will guide you safety."

"Faith? Faith?! I'm falling out of the sky on a kite made of bamboo and leather and you want me to have faith!? What do I look like, a Priest?" Danil gripped the kite for dear life.

"If you were really falling to your death you would have hit ground already." Huan called to the elf. "Open your eyes and look, we approach the Temple of the White Tiger.

Danil hesitantly opened one eye and when he saw he wasn't falling he opened the other eye. He still gripped the bamboo frame of the kite so hard his knuckles were white.

Their kites landed by a Grummie who took them for holding until it was time to depart. He told them to have a lucky stay, whatever that meant.

Danil shuddered as they walked through the temple grounds, "Uuugh. Creepy little people."

Huan went into story mode as they explored, "This is the temple of the Celestial White Tiger of the north, Xuen. Legend says that about a thousand years ago he answered the challenge to battle Lei Shen, the Mogu Thunder King, and their battle raged for thirty days and nights. The great tiger fell and was imprisoned but returned when we Pandaren overthrew our cruel Mogu overlords." He had stopped to admire a blossoming cherry blossom tree.

Danil looked around; there were Monks here, meditating, practicing, and some eating nearby. It started again, the staring and commenting.

One of the Monks from the group that was eating walked over and handed Danil a large bowl of stew. Danil accepted it with a bow, by this point he was not even surprised by the gesture. He began to eat.

"Xuen is the celestial of strength. His teachings include the concept of controlled strength and that strength is more than just physical, but mental and spiritual as well. Strength as a tool that requires training and practice. Every few days Xuen holds a tournament of strength to help the local people hone their strength." Huan explained.

Danil stopped eating for a moment, "So Huan. Why do your people keep giving me food?"

Huan laughed, "You, compared to us, are very thin. They think you are starving and are trying to help you grow healthy and strong."

"Or fat." Danil said. "I mean, it's good food and I eat all they give me because it's polite but I don't see how being plump can be strong. No offense."

"None taken." Huan responded, he stood up straight, put his hands on his hips and stuck his gut out, "But being large does not mean one is soft. Go ahead; punch my belly as hard as you can."

Danil finished his food, walked over, and took a swing at Huan's belly. He was surprised when he hit strong stomach muscles instead of flab. "Understood." Danil commented. He sat back down beside his bowl.

"You would benefit from a little weight gain, Dan Sun. With proper strength training you could build muscles and be stronger." Huan said. He then asked, "Do you lift, Dan Sun?"

Danil stood up and invoked the mist then preformed the uplift spell, "Uplift?"

Huan chuckled, "No, little one, lift things for strength training?"

Danil bowed his head, "No sir."

Huan laughed, "We'll get you some instruction on strength training during our stay here. For now, let's explore more." He led the elf down the road.

Huan and Danil came upon a pair of dueling followers of Xuen being egged on by a small celestial feline, a member of the Litter of Xuen.

Danil immediately went over to the little tiger and picked it up and turned it to face him, his hands holding the feline torso under its little forearms, "A kitten! You're adorable."

The kitten looked at Danil and squirmed in his hands, "More than what can be said about your face."

"Such catitude. But..." Danil held the kitten with one hand and pointed his index finger towards the kitten's nose.

Instinctually the Litter of Xuen leaned its face forward, touching its nose to the finger.

"Beep." Danil said as the nose touched his finger. He rested the kitten on his left arm and held it against his chest and proceeded to carry it around the tour of the temple.

"Beep? Crazy furless fleshbag." The kitten remarked. "Do that again and I bite you."

Danil pet the kitten and it leaned its head over to the side. The Litter of Xuen said, "Aw yeah right there." He moved his hand to the base of the cat's tail. It became afflicted with elevator butt, lifting its hind high in the air, and said, "Yeah! Yeah! Perfect!"

Danil looked down the road and saw Xuen walking up it slowly. The huge celestial tiger terrified the elf and he set the Litter of Xuen on the ground, commenting, "There's daddy."

The Litter of Xuen gently bit at Danil's sandaled does, "You're not done petting me yet."

Danil remained frozen in place until Xuen passed before resuming his kitten petting.

Huan and Danil remained at the temple for about three days were Danil began learning strength training techniques and got beat up by the other Monks.

"Wh-where are we going now?" Danil asked as the kites set off. He lay flat on his stomach, clenching his kite for dear life.

"We are going to Tien Monastery in the Jade Forest, where the people of that region go to train. You will be able to fight novices instead of more advanced students." Huan explained.

When they arrived at the monastery Danil observed Monk trainees sparring in a yard surrounding a large jade-decorated bell. The trainees stopped and stared, commenting about there being yet another stranger from beyond the mist among them.

Huan led Danil up the stairs to the banquet area where they met up with Elder Cloudfall.

After Huan introduced Danil, Danil was released to go wander the monastery and practice with his peers.

Danil looked around the dining area. He decided he would try to socialize and walked over to a large Pandaren sitting at a table eating.

The Pandaren, Xiao, looked over at him. "You strangers from beyond the mist keep showing up. You. Do your people have some sort of famine? You're so thin and sickly looking. You should eat something."

Danil blinked, "No. We're just naturally this way. But I haven't eaten yet today." He looked at Xiao expectantly. Every other Pandaren that had made a remark had offered him food.

Xiao raised a brow, "What are you looking at me for?" He then realized what Danil was waiting for. "No way. This is mine. Go get your own." Xiao pointed towards the vat of stew and containers of food up near where Huan had spoken to the elder at.

Danil wandered over to the food and dished out a moderate amount of food into a bowl and sat down beside Xiao.

Xiao looked down at Danil's bowl and scoffed, "I ate more than that as a cub. No wonder you are tiny."

Danil shrugged the comment off and began to eat his food. His mind wandered to his diet, his efforts to avoid becoming heavier than average. He asked Xiao a question, "Did anyone ever hassle you for being so large?"

Xiao stopped eating, a dumpling held in his chopsticks, "Yes. When I was a cub some of the other cubs made fun of me."

"How did you deal with it?" Danil asked.

"I was upset at first. Then I decided to embrace my nature. If I am meant to be big and strong then I will be one of the biggest and strongest." Xiao explained then ate his dumpling. "Always embrace who you are and don't try to be someone you are not. You will only be unhappy."

"Thank you." Danil ate the rest of his food as he considered Xiao's wisdom. By the time he was done he had decided to forget the diet. If he bulked up because of it, so be it. He got a second plate.

Danil grew happier in the days that followed, probably because he was no longer starving himself. He did some strength training and more importantly sparred other beginners. Sometimes he even won and his confidence grew.

By the time Danil and Huan left for Dawn's Blossom, Danil was beginning to confidently execute previous teachings that he was struggling with.

"This is Dawn's Blossom. I wanted to show you Pandaren society outside of temples and monasteries." Huan explained, "Go on, have a look around."

Danil wandered through the town. He overheard comments about him being another stranger from beyond the mist. He saw young adult Pandas flirting and older ones getting drunk. He stopped to eat food from a noodle vendor but found himself extremely unsettled.

As he shoveled the noodles into his mouth he realized someone was watching him from behind. Noodles hanging from his mouth, he slowly turned on his stool to see several creepy Pandaren children staring at him. He bit down on the noodles, cutting them with his teeth and lowering them back into the noodle soup, "What!?"

"You dress funny." A male cub pointed out.

Danil became annoyed, "No, you dress funny." He took another bite of noodles, glaring at the runts.

A female panda cub asked, "How big is your family?"

Danil glared, pausing in his eating again, "I have two uncles and my uncles have two cousins. Everyone else in my family is dead. Now let me eat my lunch in peace!" He turned his back to the cubs and went about hastily consuming his food.

"You're fun." One of the male children said.

"I bet my dad could beat him up." One of the other boys said.

One of the girls asked, "Tell me a story?"

Another girl asked, "Where did you come from."

Danil growled and finished his bowl lunch, setting the bowl down on the vendor's stand.

"Why are you so thin?" asked one of the boys.

Danil raised an eyebrow and it began to twitch. He turned slowly to the cubs, "... why are you so fat?"

"You're funny."

Danil got to his feet and stomped off to Huan who was speaking with a citizen near the riding kites. As Danil went the children followed him, asking more questions and annoying him so.

"Why are your ears so big? Why are they floppy?"

"Why don't you have fur?"

"Can you teach me how to fight?"

"Where are you going?"

Danil reached Huan and gave him a pathetic pleading look, "Get me out of here."

Huan handed Danil his kite, "Very well, to the Temple of the Jade Serpent we go."

Danil hopped on it and flew off, escaping the Pandaren children. Huan flew close behind.

They flew across the forest and circled around the huge statue of the Jade Serpent.

"This is the statue of the Jade Serpent Yu'lon. Every hundred years she transfers her life essence into a statue and becomes a new being. As you can see, they are putting the finishing touches on the statue and the transfer will begin soon." Huan explained.

Danil stared at the statue from his kite. He was still white-knuckling. "It's huge."

"While Xuen is the Celestial of strength, Yu'lon is the Celestial of intellect and knowledge." Huan explained.

They landed inside the temple and Huan gave Danil a brief tour. Danil took a particular interest in the little cloud serpents that were training along-side Pandaren.

"Look at the tiny dragon-serpent things." Danil commented.

"They are called Cloud Serpents, and they are ridden into combat with those who trained them. Perhaps one day their order may welcome outsiders. Walk with me Dan Sun and I will tell you their story." Huan headed off towards the library.

Danil hurried after him.

"Thousands of years ago, just before the Pandaren Empire rose to power, a young girl named Jiang took a young cloud serpent into her care and raised it. Previously they were feared monsters, but Jiang rode in on her serpent and struck a blow to the enemies of our people. Soon she trained others and the Order of the Cloud Serpent was born. The serpent riders contributed to our winning of the war. Today the serpents are a symbol of hope." Huan explained as he led Danil to the Lorewalker in the library.

Danil looked around, there were scrolls and books everywhere and Pandaren chased moths with nets and loaded silkworms into bags, trying to preserve their library.

"This is the Scrollkeeper's Sanctum. Pandaren history and fable alike are kept here. People of this land come from far and wide to learn of our history. You would benefit from the same." Huan then introduced Danil to the Lorewalker, "This is Lorewalker Stonestep. He will be your guide for this intellectual journey. I will return for you in two weeks, don't forget to practice."

Danil spent the following weeks studying Pandaren history and fables. He was also taught some calligraphy and a type of painting involving putting floating ink on water and manipulating it and then transferring it to paper.

He spent some time training but also took time to play with young Cloud Serpents. Danil also did chores. He helped with cooking, cleaning, picking up after Cloud Serpents, and lots and lots of moth catching.

Danil was disappointed that he never once saw Yu'lon. He was thankful when Huan came to get him and happily clenched his kite as they flew west, over farmland to their next destination.

Huan welcomed Danil to Halfhill, a small market town beside a large cluster of farms. They left their kites with the kite master and wandered town. "This is the Halfhill market, where farmers and cooking masters gather to sell their goods. You shall stay here for a while and participate in simple Pandaren life. I will come collect you when you have learned the proper lessons."

"What?" Danil raised a brow. "What does simple Pandaren life have to do with being a Monk? I'm supposed to be a fighter not a farmer."

Huan chuckled and hopped on his kite, "Go to the northwest and assist the people on the farms as well as those here. The sooner you learn the lessons of this place the sooner you can leave." He then flew off out of range leaving Danil flustered.

Danil spoke to the kitemaster, "My kite please."

The kitemaster shook his head, "Not until you are finished here. It's your Master's orders."

"But I don't belong here; I'm a Monk not a farmer." Danil told the kitemaster.

"What, are you too good to live and work alongside us hard working common folk?" the kitemaster asked.

Danil's ears drooped and he started off to the farmlands, "No..." He suddenly felt terrible.

The kitemaster called after him, "Then go and learn your lessons."

In the days that followed Danil worked for the farmers and market folks from dawn until dusk. He dug ditches, planted crops, pulled weeds, harvested vegetables, chased off Hozen and Virmen. He hauled carts and ran deliveries. The famers worked him to the bone; he'd never worked so hard doing what was menial physical labor in his entire life. He often struggled to keep the pace with the other workers and was sore.

Each night Danil was paid for his labor with a single meal. Danil noticed these meals were extremely good. He didn't know why. After eating he would train vigorously until the moon was high in the sky.

Danil did not have enough money to stay at the inn so he slept under the stars on the grass outside of the town.

On the third night it started raining and an elderly lady Pandaren walked up to him, "Little elf thing. If you sleep out here you will catch your death. Why don't you come inside and have some tea and a bite to eat?"

Danil got to his feet and headed after the elderly Pandaren to her home. She lived in a hut up the hill in the town. Once inside Danil sat down against a wall, "Thank you for this."

The elderly Pandaren gave Danil tea and stew, "Oh it's nothing dear. I hate seeing such a hard working boy having nowhere to sleep at night. Aside for your living conditions how are you enjoying your stay?'

Danil took a bite of the stew, "This is great." He then answered her question, "It is really nice here but it's also really hard work. I don't know how your people keep it up day after day."

The elderly Pandaren prepared a bed for Danil, "The work we do here is important. We feed much of Pandaria with our crops. If we don't work our hardest we may face famine."

Danil agreed, "Yeah. It's really respectable. I was surprised. It's a lot different than the city I'm from." He then ate more of his meal and drank some of the tea.

The elderly Pandaren covered the bed with a blanket, "One learns to appreciate the hard work of simple things after doing the tasks themselves. As a Monk one of your duties is to protect people like the hard working people here so they can continue to perform their tasks."

Danil raised a brow, "How do you know I'm a Monk?"

The elderly Pandaren laughed, "I overheard you yelling at your teacher when you first arrived. Everyone did. Your outfit also gives you away."

Danil finished his meal and tea and put the dishes aside. His ears drooped, "I'm sorry I was such an ignorant ass."

"Oh, it's of no consequence. You've learned better now and that is all that matters." The elderly Pandaren pointed to the bed, "Go ahead and get some sleep. If you want to get out of those wet clothes I'll clean them for you so they will be dry in the morning."

"Thank you for your hospitality." Danil got to his feet again and bowed to the elderly Pandaren then climbed into bed. Under the blankets he got out of his clothing and set them on the floor beside the bed then curled up and fell asleep.

Danil overslept the next day and was awoken by none other than Huan Liu, "Dan Sun."

Danil sat up in the bed with a gasp and looked around, "Wha?"

Huan laughed and handed Danil his clothes, "Get dressed, it's time to go."

Danil hurried to get dressed, thanked the elderly Pandaren for her hospitality one last time and he was off again.

Huan and Danil's next stop was south at the Temple of the Red Crane. As the temple came into view Huan attempted to educate Danil about the temple.

"Up ahead is the Temple of the Red Crane." Huan began to say.

Danil cut him off, "Chi'ji the Celestial of hope."

"Yes. Very good." Huan praised, "You have studied well I see."

"Yes." Danil said as they landed.

Huan gave Danil a typical tour, but Danil didn't pay much attention this time. He was distracted by the sight of a young Human Priest practicing on the grounds. He slumped and rushed after Huan, standing with Huan between him and the Human to avoid detection.

At this temple Danil practiced Mistweaving and Chi manipulation. Huan was unsurprised that Danil excelled at it. He figured healing must be what Danil was good at, having been from a family of Priests; it was probably simply the family's affinity.

On the last day of their stay Huan approached Danil and made a suggestion, "Dan Sun." Huan called to Danil.

"Yes Master Liu?" Danil asked.

"Dan Sun. You excel at Mistweaving, you have a talent for it, and I think you should pursue the study of that path intensely."

Danil blinked at the proposal then he grew upset. He spoke in a deep calm voice, "What?!" He grew a little more frantic, "I leave home, live in a desert hell-hole, then a frozen wasteland, do countless chores, farm, scoop shit, get harassed by creepy children, get beat up, for what?" He raised his voice, "For you to tell me that I should do the ONE thing I DESPISE more than anything?" He was now yelling at the top of his lungs, "THAT I SHOULD HEAL?" He growled at Huan, "You're worse than my father."

Danil stormed off and left Huan confused. Huan asked, "Was it something I said?"

Hours later Danil sat in one of the windows in the Temple looking out at the ocean. He was lost in contemplation.

A male Pandaren with red fur, a beard, mustache, and topknot wearing a plate chest plate, brown leather shorts, gloves and boots approached him.

The Pandaren spoke, "What is on your mind, young one?"

Danil sighed, "I just feel lost."

"But you are right here, you are not lost." The Pandaren replied.

"I mean. A wise Pandaren told me to embrace my nature. By nature I'm a healer, but I don't want to be some dress wearing caster who stands back and doesn't do much of anything." Danil explained.

"Mistweavers can be in the fray alongside every other Monk. When they perform their strikes they inspire and invigorate those around them. The path of the Mistweaver is not a path of inaction, but a path of essential action." The Pandaren explained. "What do you want to do as a Monk?"

Danil sat quietly and contemplated, "I want to help my people. Protect them from threats."

The Pandaren chuckled, "Then you should study the paths of the Brewmaster and the Mistweaver. The Brewmaster is the front line of defense and the Mistweaver, the defense against things like death that otherwise inhibit people's ability to defend themselves."

Danil had not thought of healing in that way before, he stared out the window and he spoke up, "Hey thanks mi-"

"Something is wrong, I must go." Said the Pandaren, then he simply disappeared.

Danil looked back and saw he Pandaren gone but didn't hear him leave. He raised a brow, "Weird."

Danil turned back to the window and stared at the water. He questioned if the Pandaren he had been speaking to was real or imaginary. His mind drifted to the idea that healing might actually be his proper path after all and decided reluctantly that he would embrace it and try Brewmastery as well.

About five minutes later Huan walked up to him, "Dan Sun. There you are. Are you alright?"

Danil looked back at Huan, "Yes Master Liu. I'm sorry I got so mad." He hopped down from the window.

Huan laughed, "Don't be sorry. I should have been more considerate."

Danil bowed, "You were right. I've decided I want to pursue Mistweaving. I'd also like to learn more about Brewmastery if that's alright."

Huan gestured to Danil, "Come, it is time to leave to the Temple of Nizao the Black Ox." He led Danil out of the temple and to their kites.

Danil looked around. The denizens of the temple were in a bit of a panic. Something seemed very wrong. He shook his head, it was probably nothing.

As Huan and Danil set off to the northwest Danil looked back and noticed the temple grounds seeming to grow dark and gray. He shook his head again; his mind was just playing tricks on him.

What Huan and Danil didn't know was that during their stay at the Temple of the Red Crane the conflict between the Alliance and the Horde had toppled the statue of the Jade Serpent and released the Sha upon Pandaria. This set into motion various things including the Temple of the Red Crane being overrun with Sha and triggering the Mantid swarm.

Huan and Danil flew north along the wall separating the Mantid lands from the rest of Pandaria. The Mantid were starting to swarm. A few Mantid swarmborn began to fly over the walls to lead the charge.

Danil stared off into the Dread Wastes and commented, "That must be where the Mantid are, right?"

Huan answered, "Yes. And they are far more active than they should be. Quickly, let's get to the Temp-"

"Help!" Danil yelled as a pair of young Mantid started attacking him on the kite, slicing at his flesh and the kite he flew on. He veered his kite away, flying over the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

Blood gushed from Danil's wounds as he recklessly tried to shake the Mantid. When they finally lost interest in the chase Danil's kite broke, sending Danil plummeting to the ground. He seized up and braced for impact.

Danil landed on the ground in the Vale with a loud snap, bones breaking on the impact. He was not killed instantly but extremely injured. His right ribs landed on a rock and several snapped and stabbed into his lung. His lungs began to fill with blood. He slid along the ground, scraping up the right side of his body it even ripped holes in his clothing and scraped the skin beneath.

As he began to lose consciousness his body went limp and he went into a roll. A structure at the edge of one of the pools finally stopped his moving when his back collided with it, causing another loud snap.

Danil did not feel pain, but he was overwhelmed by sadness. He could feel his life slipping away. His mind raced, he thought of all the things he wanted to do but didn't have a chance. His mind hashed over all forms of regrets as he grew increasingly tired. Then Danil remembered reading about the water in the Vale having powerful healing properties.

Danil struggled to move himself to the water. It wasn't more than a foot or two away. He found he couldn't move at all and lay there hopeless and frightened. Tears rolled down his face and mixed with his pool of blood. He didn't want to die but he was succumbing to death in his helplessness.

Danil's mind was racing so fast that seconds felt like an eternity. Huan reached Danil seconds after he became stationary. To Danil it already felt as if he had been dying for an eternity.

Huan scooped Danil up and lowered his broken body into one of the pools, "Don't lose hope, Danil, you will be alright. I promise, just hold on."

As Danil's body submerged in the water he had a seizure, his eyes rolled back in his head and he lost consciousness completely.

Danil awoke to incredible pain. He opened his eyes to see Huan and several other Pandaren, Golden Lotus members, healing him. They looked strange and distorted. After several moments he took in a deep breath and realized he was submerged in the water. He tried to squirm and sit up but could barely even move. One of the Pandaren held him down.

Danil realized he was struggling in vain and accepted that he was breathing water stopped squirming. He was alive, and that was good enough for him. He gave up trying to keep awake and fell unconscious again

When next Danil awoke, many days later, he was laying on a bedroll in the Shrine of the Two Moons in a room known as the Chamber of the Masters. His mouth was dry and his stomach empty. There was a Blood Elf nurse tending to other injured.

Huan knelt at his side and smiled warmly at him when he awoke. He spoke softly to the injured elf, "Dan Sun. You are alive, you are safe, and with a little more recovery time you will be just fine."

Danil looked around, "Wh-where am I?"

"You are at the Shrine of the Two Moons in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. The Celestials have opened the Vale to the rest of the continent, its people, and our guests from other lands. Your people have selected this as their base." He picked Danil up like an oversized baby, "Come. There are some folks waiting to see you."

Danil struggled to move. He could move but it hurt terribly, so he resigned to feeling pathetic and letting Huan carry him. He looked around, there were many members of the Horde there going about their business.

Huan carried him across the shrine, into an inn area, up a flight of stairs, and into a small second floor tavern. In a corner sat two individuals Danil was sure to recognize.

One was a sleep deprived tall, lanky, white haired Blood Elf Priest in his complete outfit, white robes, shoulder wings, staff, everything. The other was a ginger Blood Elf Paladin in his full plate looking equally tired.

Danil recognized the as his uncle, Tyan, and his uncle's partner, Zan. He called out to them, squeaking out a weak, "Uncle."

Zan took Danil from Huan and carried him over to Tyan at the table. He sat Danil on the table where Tyan gave him a hug.

Danil began to sob. Tyan was the closest thing to a parent he had left, and was one of his only two living family members. He had been sure he would die and that he would never see anyone again. Danil buried his face in his uncle's chest.

Huan spoke, "Dan Sun has succeeded in his training. He has learned to accept and embrace his nature. He has found confidence, humility, and wisdom. And while I do not wish to make light of his accident I am willing to bet Dan Sun has also felt how short life can be and has newfound appreciation for friends and family. Is that right little one?"

Danil glanced to Huan and squeaked a weak "Yes" before reburying his face.

Huan smiled, "He should return to me when he has fully recovered for some final teachings and to collect his personal effects. But for now, he needs something I cannot provide. He needs the tender love and care of family."

Tyan nodded and let Danil go. He spoke to Huan, "Thank you for caring for my Nephew and seeking us out when he got injured."

Zan scooped up the injured Danil and carried him from the tavern, to the portal room, and then home.

At home, Tyan pulled back the covers of Danil's bed and Zan set him down and helped him get comfortable. Beside the bed was a large pitcher of water and an empty glass.

Tyan then lingered in the doorway, "I'm going to go fix supper. You have been out for days and are probably starved." He then left.

Zan shoved pillows behind Danil to sit him up. He then pulled the cover over Danil's lower half. He pulled the bedside table down so it was easier for Danil to reach then poured water into the empty glass and handed it to Danil, "You're also dehydrated. Drink up."

Danil held the glass in both hands, trembling as he took a small drink. He didn't feel much like drinking, but forced himself to chug the entire glass.

Zan slipped from the room for a few minutes and returned carrying a hookah and a wooden box full of dried red herb leaves. He set the device and herb box on the bedside table and loaded the device up and got it started. "This should help with the pain." He then poured Danil another glass of water.

Danil lay back in his bed and relaxed as best he could, "Thank you Mister Pyranor."

Zan headed to the door, "You don't need to thank me, silly." He smiled, "I'm going to go help with dinner but I'll be back soon."

Danil gave Zan a slight nod, moving hurt, "Okay."

"And Danil." Zan said, peeking in the almost closed door.

"Huh?" Danil asked.

"We're very proud of you. Welcome home." Zan said then softly closed the door behind him.

Danil sunk further into his bed. He reflected on his journey and decided even though things didn't go as planned he had no regrets about his choices. But he was also glad to be home in his nice warm bed with family that cared about him. He smiled weakly.


	19. Bonus 9: Return of the Baby

_Bonus: After writing the initial story I had an idea for another Death Knight. This one goes to Pandaria before joining the rest of the cast._

* * *

**Return of the Baby**

As death knight he was forced to terrorize, torture, murder, and to do so without mercy. He knew four things, how to obey, how to speak, feelings of intense terror and aching sorrow.

The commanders in the scourge called him Ollie. When the Knights of the Ebon Blade became free of the Lich King, Ollie was told his home was Silvermoon City, that he was a Blood Elf, and was subsequently sent to join the Horde.

As he walked through the strange Orcish city, green men and women hurled things at him and called him a monster. But the Warchief welcomed him and the elf proceeded to act in service of the Horde. From then on, any time he did any harm to anything he found himself thinking, "I'm sorry."

Shortly after joining the Horde, Ollie found his way to Outlands, standing over a Moonwell in a druid township in Zangarmarsh. Water, blessed water. He felt uneasy being close to it but he peered down at his reflection. He could see his piercing blue eyes glowing from within his helm and that was it.

Ollie closed his eyes and thought hard. He realized he had no idea what he even looked like under his helm. With a deep breath, he removed his helm and looked down again.

He was unsettled by what he saw. Ollie was not a monster like he was expecting, or at least not outside of his armor. He was instead was a very young fragile looking elf with wide glowing blue eyes, freckles and copper red hair that tucked into his armor. The unsettling part was his age.

Ollie didn't know how old he was, or how he died, or who he was before death, all he knew was that he was young, barely an adult, that his death was tragic. Worse, he couldn't remember his childhood, his family, his home, what kind of person he was. All he could remember was terrorizing people as a member of the scourge and his joining of the Horde.

With no memories and no home all Ollie had was service to the Horde. He knew he was not intimidating in his true form, if he wanted to be taken seriously or do much of anything he would need to hide his youth and fragility. He put his helm back on and resolved to never remove it in public.

Ollie aided the Horde and joined the active Ebon Blade Knights in Northrend. He joined the Ashen Verdict and sought the aide of a Draenei priestess. They took to a tent for privacy.

She had white hair pulled back in a bun and was wrapped in heavy cloth robes and a blanket. She peered curiously at him, "Ollie, you have typical retrograde amnesia as many Death Knights do, they suppressed your memories to keep you obedient. Please remove your helm and I will touch your mind and see what memories can be unlocked. This will take a few hours."

Ollie sat on his knees before the priestess, and with hesitation removed his helm. He looked at her, wide eyes, ears drooped, a shamed look on his face.

The priestess frowned at Ollie, "Don't be sad." She then reached her hands out and touched her fingers to his temples and closed her eyes. She gently touched his mind.

Ollie closed his eyes; he could feel her presence in his mind much like he had once felt the presence of the Lich King. Instinctually, he psychically submitted to her whims, opening his mind for her delving and controlling pleasures.

The priestess projected thoughts of comfort, warmth, and safety to Ollie as she searched his mind. Within no more than ten minutes she left his mind, releasing him from her thrall.

"Ollie." The priestess tapped the young Death Knight on the cheek. "Wake up Ollie."

Ollie's eyes fluttered open, "That was fast. What did you find priestess? I don't seem to remember anything more than before."

The priestess bowed her head, "There are a few fragmented images of places, and your full first name is Oliver. That is all there is. There are no blocked memories."

Oliver's eyes grew wide, he got a saddened look on his face, "What? How? I don't understand how everything can just be gone?" He became overwhelmed by panic, "Try again priestess, maybe it's been overlooked?"

"I checked several times. The only other thing I can tell you is you were a good, moral, kind person in life." The priestess shook her head, "There is nothing more I can do."

"H-how could this happen?" Oliver put his helm back on, burying his sense of sadness in the back of his mind.

"Well," the priestess explained, "There is a period of time in which a person can be brought back from the dead through magic or resuscitation. As time goes on, the likelihood of saving the person without the victim facing permanent damage to their brains and bodies diminishes. It is likely that you were revived late in that window and parts of your brain had deteriorated."

Oliver made a fist, "But I think and remember fine. My brain works just fine! How is it that my brain could be damaged?"

The priestess stared down at her hands, sadness sill on her face, "Necromancers could have repaired the damage but not restored anything. To them those memories were likely superfluous."

"How can I know what I'm supposed to be like if I don't know anything about myself?" Oliver stood up, frustrated by everything remaining a mystery.

"I told you what kind of person you were... and still are, little Oliver. Memories or not, deep down you are a good person." The priestess rose and rested her hand on the Death Knight's shoulder.

"What do I do now?" Oliver pulled away from the priestess and moved to leave the tent.

"Fight the Lich King with the rest of us. Then go home, back to the land of Quel'thalas and search for familiar places, places that match the memories of your mind." The priestess responded.

Oliver slipped from the tent and began to walk away.

"And take off your silly helmet. You may not remember anyone but someone around those familiar places may remember you!" The priestess shouted at him.

Oliver wandered off into the snows of Icecrown for some solitude, overwhelmed with hopelessness.

In the months that followed Oliver aided in the attacks on the Lich King's Citadel. He remained in Icecrown well after the fall; saw the world blown asunder by Deathwing and returned to assisting the Horde, saw the arrival of mysterious and chubby pandas, and traveled to Pandaria.

The beauty of the land gave him a brief glimpse of joy in his otherwise fearful existence. He was then overwhelmed by Sha and wandered the lands for an unknown amount of time before a member of the Shadopan beat the Sha right out of him.

This particular Shadopan was a jolly male Pandaren who enjoyed his liquor a little too much, something Oliver found common among the Pandaren. Oliver came to consider this particular Pandaren a friend; he even revealed his appearance to the jolly Panda. It was the first time he had done so since the priestess in Icecrown. Oliver grew envious of the Pandarens' joy and succumbed to hopelessness and doubt. The jolly Shadopan beat the Sha out of him again.

In his months in Padaria he stuck close by his Shadopan friend so he could receive frequent anti-Sha beatings. The beatings did continue until Oliver's morale improved and he became Sha-resistant. Eventually Oliver's moral did indeed substantially improve. From his Panda friend Oliver learned to let go of negative feelings rather than be consumed by them.

One day, the Pandaren pulled Oliver aside, sat with him and had a heart to heart.

"Young Oliver, why do you linger here when you have unanswered questions about yourself?" The panda asked.

Oliver bowed his head and removed his helm, he quickly dismissed his sadness. "I have nowhere to go, so I might as well stay here and fight the Sha."

The panda shook his head then gave Oliver a chuckle, "Well your dedication is admirable, you do remember what our values here are, right?"

Oliver frowned then closed his eyes and recited a short phrase, "Food, Friends, and Family are the things that matter most." He then looked down, "There is plenty of food here, and you are my friend. That is enough for me."

The Panda raised his finger in a matter of fact manner, "You might believe you have no family, or that you do not need one, but what if there is a family for you? Imagine the joy you might bring your family to have you miraculously returned from the dead to them?"

Oliver looked down at his gauntleted hands, "Maybe."

The Pandaren rose and offered him a hand up, "You should go, find your family, then return to tell me stories of your ancestors."

Oliver accepted the Pandaren's help up and put his helm back on, "Alright. I'll try."

The Panda offered him the wooden box he had been carrying, "Here, these are for your journey."

Oliver accepted the box with a bow then opened it. It was filled with dumplings and a good luck charm.

"Food, and a token of luck to remind you of your friends. Two other important things. Now go." The Pandaren explained then shooed Oliver off.

Oliver put the lid back on the box, bowed to the Panda, then wandered off to journey to Silvermoon City.

Oliver arrived outside the gates of Silvermoon and stared up at the glorious city, its towering spires; red and white marble. He felt overwhelmed and longed to be back wandering Pandaria. He found a secluded spot behind some bushes, removed his helmet, and ate a few dumplings.

Oliver took the good luck charm from the box and put it on like a necklace then popped his helm back on, closed the dumpling box, and walked into the city, showing his Horde insignia to the gate guards.

Oliver wandered the city for hours, eventually the sun went down and the sky filled with stars. He settled in on a bench in one of the city squares and meditated, trying to think of what places he might have seen that was familiar. He stopped several times for dumplings and when the sun came up he resumed his wandering.

Oliver wandered the city for several days, stopping outside to drink from the lake and stream, eat dumplings, and take time to rest. He frequently returned to the bench he stopped at the first night to meditate.

Eventually he ran out of dumplings and wandered to new areas of the city, into the taverns and shops in search of food. He first found himself startled at one of the local taverns. There were many people coming and going, food, socialization, laughter. These were things that his people did that the Pandaren also did. They weren't so different.

His heart sank. For the first time he realized he had little clue what his people, what Blood Elves, were supposed to act like, or anything about his people and their history.

Oliver wandered the city and sought the company of non-Blood Elves in the city. He spent time with Harene Plainwalker and Gez'li, a female Tauren druid and a female Troll shaman, respectively. They were understanding of his lack of memories and filled him in on the history of his people.

After his education he went about people-watching and the meditation bench in the square became his favorite spot. He watched people come and go from various places and go about their business. This went on for several weeks.

One day, two death knights exited one of the buildings and towered over him on either side. They were tall, lithe blood elves with hair that had a pale blue tint, much older, the human equivalent of their forties. One wore his hair back in a ponytail while one wore his in a loose braid, but they looked alike otherwise.

The one with the ponytail spoke, "You'll come with us. Now." He reached down and grabbed Oliver by the arm.

Oliver looked up at him, "Where? Why?"

The other grabbed Oliver's other arm and they forced him to his feet and dragged him to the door they had exited from. His empty box of dumplings was left on the bench. They dragged Oliver past the counter and up the ramp to the second level then into a room. They shoved him into the middle of the room and shut the door behind him. The one with the ponytail leaned against the door and crossed his arms.

Oliver looked around the room. It was a bedroom, a rug on the floor, a desk, two bunk beds, bookshelves, dressers, things typical of a bedroom. He turned to his captors, "Wh-why are you doing this to me? I'm a Blood Elf just like you. I haven't done anything wrong. Can you get my box? It was a gift from a friend."

The knight with the braided hair stepped up to Oliver, glaring down at him, "We'll ask the questions here. Take off your helmet."

Oliver hesitated and removed his helm. He sat down and looked up at the now towering elf, "Ok. I don't know what I did to upset you but I'm sorry."

The interrogator questioned, "Why have you been sitting outside of our home for weeks? Are you planning on robbing the place? Or the customers, or the ladies?"

"N-no. I. I'd never do that. I have earned my own gold, I don't need to steal." Oliver responded, peering up at the interrogator. "I didn't mean to scare or upset anyone."

"Then why do you hide your face, child, and why have you sat staring all day for weeks?" The interrogator asked.

Oliver bowed his head, "I don't remember who I am, or where I'm from, or what one of our people is supposed to act like. I have been watching people come and go so I can learn. I've been hiding my face because, well, look at me. I'm a kid."

The door guard asked, "Why not choose other places, why there, on that same bench?"

The interrogator gave Oliver a sympathetic look, "You haven't gotten any of your memories back?"

Oliver answered the interrogator first, "No." He then answered the door guard, "I don't know. It just feels safe."

There was a knock on the door, a male voice called through the door, "Snowdawns, dinner is ready, do you want supper brought to you or will you be joining us? And will we need another plate fixed for your new little friend?"

The door guard opened the door and a warlock stepped in. He wore dark red robes with spiked shoulders and goggles. His hair was an auburn color, long, and braided into five braids. He looked at Oliver.

The door guard responded, "I think it is best we eat up here today Dalaen." He looked to Oliver, "Do you want food, kid?"

Oliver kept his gaze on the ground, not even looking up to see the newcomer. "I guess, but if it isn't too much trouble."

The warlock turned and exited, the door guard closed the door and they returned their attention to Oliver.

The interrogator spoke, giving Oliver a half-smile, "My name is Tyvek and that is my brother Tyvon. As you are aware we are Death Knights just like you."

Oliver looked up at the two, "My name is Oliver but the Scourge just called me Ollie."

Tyvek pointed towards one of the bunk beds, "You can go have a seat if you wish. My brother will fetch your box."

Tyvon slipped out and ten minutes later returned with the box. Dalaen and a blonde Blood Elf with short wild hair in a leather robe brought the tree plates out and distributed them and saw their way out. Tyvon offered Oliver the box; he seemed to be in deep contemplation.

Oliver set the plate aside and hugged the box close, "Thank you. It was a gift from a friend."

Tyvon sat at the desk and ate while Tyvek sat beside Oliver, casually eating and making conversation, "We're sorry for roughing you up a little. We weren't expecting you still hadn't adjusted to your new life yet."

Tyvon turned his chair around, "We've been free from the Lich King for years. Why didn't you return to Quel'thalas sooner?"

"I have no memory of home or family, not even a priest could help me. She said I was brought back after my brain had started to deteriorate and that's why I have so few memories. I didn't even know what I looked like until I looked at my own reflection." Oliver hugged his box.

Tyvek ate his meal, giving Oliver an occasional acknowledging nod, "Continue."

Oliver frowned, "So with nowhere to go I have been doing things for the Horde and whoever else needs help. It's only recently that my friend in Pandaria convinced me to come here and try to find family. He said that family, friends, and food are the three things that matter most to his people and that if I could find family I might feel whole."

Tyvon finished his meal and headed out the door, plate in hand, "I should go tell the other residents about our new friend and that he's not malicious."

Tyvek set his plate aside, also finished. He commented, "Tyvon and I have family here, cousins, they welcomed us home when they found out about our new lives. Your Pandaren friend may be right about family. And don't worry; we had missing memories too; still do have some hazy points. It can get better."

Oliver frowned and started eating the contents of his plate, "I still don't know my family."

"Well you may stay here as long as you like. Brothers in undeath and all." Tyvek gave Oliver a smile.

"Thank you, I'll think about it, but I really just want to go back to my friends in Pandaria." Oliver looked away from the other Death Knight.

A plate shattered down on the lower level and silverware clattered on tile floor. Under a minute later the door opened and Tyvon entered, followed by a freckly female blood elf that peeked curiously around the door at Tyvek and Oliver.

She stepped in and approached the two. She wore a loose red and gold shirt and comfortable looking brown pants. Her copper colored hair was cut to chin length.

"Um." Oliver gave the Snowdawns a helpless look before staring at the ginger lady elf.

She stared right back at Oliver, then got real close, tilted her head. She stood up straight, turned away, and let out a shriek, but not a frightened one, a happy one.

Oliver's ears drooped, he set his plate aside and began to profusely apologize, "I'm so sorry miss, I'm so sor-"

The female blood elf hugged Oliver and gave him a tight squeeze, interrupting his string of apologies, tears rolled down her face. "Oliver you're alive!"

A second female slipped out of the shadows, she was wearing black leather, an eye patch, and pigtails. The right side of her face was scarred around the eye all the way down her cheek to her jaw line, "No way!"

A third and fourth figure lingered in the doorway, one a ginger haired freckly male elf with shoulder length hair in a fancy black and red shirt and the other a priest in robes with white hair.

Tyvek pried the hugging female from Oliver, "Leiah, give the poor boy some space. He doesn't remember anything or anyone."

Tyvon crossed his arms, "You're going to have to explain it very slowly to him."

Leiah took a deep breath and wiped her tears away, "Your last name is Pyranor and I'm your oldest sister Leiah. That's your older brother Zan in the doorway and his," she paused for a moment, "...partner, and that's your older sister Youlie. You are the youngest of six. You were a prodigy priest in life. You died protecting Quel'thalas from the scourge. You were a hero."

The priest slipped in and set a prayer book down beside Oliver, "This was yours."

Oliver looked around, overwhelmed at everything; he clutched his box close to him.

"You get to produce an heir since your brother likes that awful priest." Youlie commented.

Tyvek laughed at Youlie, "Reproduce? One of us? That's the funniest thing I've heard all week."

Zan glared at Youlie then presented Oliver with another belonging, a plush springpaw lynx toy, "You always wanted a cat but father was allergic. This was your favorite; you kept it even after you grew up."

Oliver took the stuffed cat and set it on his lap but remained overwhelmed looking, "Thank you."

Tyvon raised his voice, "That's enough! Everybody out. Give the boy some space." He then herded everyone else but Tyvek out of the room then shut the door and locked it. "I'm sorry; when I told them your name and that you were freckly they had to investigate."

Oliver hugged the box, the book and the toy cat at the same time, "It's not your fault. I'm ok just a bit, as you two said, overwhelmed."

Tyvek took Oliver's plate and his own and set them on the desk "Rest your mind, little one."

Oliver lay down on the bed, still hugging his belongings, still in his armor even, "I will. I have a question, though."

Tyvon climbed onto the top of the other bunk, "What's that, little one?"

"Why do you live with my family?" Oliver closed his eyes.

"That priest who gave you the book is our cousin. He is your brother's companion." Tyvek answered as he sat down on the bottom bunk below Tyvon.

"So we're some sort of weird inlaws then." Oliver asked.

"Yes, you could say that." Tyvek chuckled. He blew out the candle, "Rest now child."

Oliver's mind wandered. After all this searching, he found what he was looking for. Maybe the bench was a familiar, safe place that his subconscious attracted him to. Maybe it was just luck. He had stumbled upon his past, his home, his family. And they didn't seem to hate him or think he was a monster. He bit his lower lip and fought back sobbing, emotions turbulent.

He was frightened and excited, sad and happy, in isolation but not alone, unsettled by the events but comforted knowing he would be able to return to Pandaria with tales of his ancestors for his friend, and confused but overwhelmed by all the knowledge of his past and his life.

Oliver meditated and in a moment of clarity he felt an emotion he had no recollection of ever feeling in his few short years of memories. He reached up and clutched the charm around his neck and smiled. He felt hope.

* * *

_Please feel free to rate, review, and let me know if you'd like to see additional stories about any of the characters in this anthology._


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